


Mayfly

by ThisWasInevitable



Series: Falling [9]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Background Relationships, Canon-Typical Violence, Dom/sub Undertones, Dry Sex, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mothman, Oral Sex, Phone Sex, Reader request, Rough Sex, background danbrey, background sternclay, indruck, not even remotely canon compliant in terms of timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-01-23 00:47:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 23,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18538888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisWasInevitable/pseuds/ThisWasInevitable
Summary: Indrid is coming up on something that only happens every two hundred years.But other things are coming, and not all of them are friendly.





	1. Oh My, Mayfly

**Author's Note:**

> I'd had this part of Falling planned for awhile, and got a reader request for something that involved Indrid in heat/mating cycle. I tried to keep that both relevant to the larger story and something that fit with the characters.
> 
> Since I've fucked up my own chronology of this series, I should add that this work takes place prior to "It's a Thriller."

Duck is used to hearing unexpected, ominous, or just plain weird shit when he picks up the phone these days. It comes with being in the Pine Guard, and with dating a guy who sees the future. It’s getting harder to surprise him.

“Are you familiar with the 17-Year Cicada?”

Leave it to Indrid to find an opener that does.

“Uhhh, yeah, kinda. Why?”

“Good, that will make this easier to explain.”

There’s a pause, and then Indrid clears his throat.

“Would you actually be willing to come over? I, I’m finding those futures less...embarrassing.”

Duck’s out the door in a count of twenty, and is soon settled on the sagging couch in the Winnebago. Indrid sits beside him, fingers drumming on his thigh.

“Okay darlin', what’s with the Cicadas?”

“It’s a matter of cycles. I’m not related to earth insects in the slightest, but my biology does possess occasional overlaps, such as my wings and my, my…” he puts his face in his hands and mutters something unintelligible.

“Your?” Duck raises an eyebrow, takes a sip of the water Indrid handed him when he sat down.

“Mating cycle.” Indrid says slightly clearer, face still covered. 

In lieu of saying something useful, Duck chokes on his water and blushes.

“That’s more or less the reaction everyone who isn’t a Sylph, or my kind of Sylph, has.”

“Every seventeen years you gotta-”

“No, not exactly. First of all, it’s two hundred years, not seventeen. And it’s not like I’ll die if I don’t find a partner, I can either live with the intense discomfort or deal with it myself. In fact, the last few times I couldn’t make it back home, and spent two weeks more or less barricaded in my living space um, well, you know.”

“Jerkin it?”

Indrid glares at him.

“Eloquently put.” 

Duck takes his hand, squeezes it.

“Hey, darlin', was just tryin' to be funny. Won’t joke about it none if it’s a touchy subject.”

“It’s fine, really.” 

He doesn’t sound convincing and his shoulders are solid knots of tension when Duck touches them.

“Part of it got you worried?”

“Yes. You see, I was excited at first when I realized that I’d actually have a partner this time around, but there’s an issue.” He rubs the bridge of his nose below his glasses, “while having sex in my human form somewhat satisfies those needs during that time, it really only works if I’m in my Sylph form.”

“Soooo, I’m gonna have to fuck the mothman?”

“No!” Indrid pulls away so suddenly he nearly falls off the couch, “there is _no_ have to, Duck, none at all. I know you’re not comfortable with that form-”

“Darlin', we cuddled while you were like that yesterday.” 

“I meant you’re not attracted to it, nor are you required to be, it just means I may have to spend a little more time by myself, it’ll be fine, but under no circumstances are you to do anything because you feel like you are obligated to.” 

“What if I want to?”

“And furthermore, wait, what?”

Duck can’t help but smile at the look of surprise on Indrids face, given how rare it is.

“I’d be lyin' if I said I ain’t been curious about it, and Sylph or human you’re still my boyfriend and I got the hots for you somethin' bad.”

Indrid just blinks at him and Duck watches the change of expression that he recognizes as Indrid reshuffling futures in head.

“But I’ve never done anything like that with a human in that form, what if, what if I hurt you, or something goes wrong, or it doesn’t feel good for you or, or.” He dies out into a hum when Duck kisses him softly. 

“You can see shit like that comin', remember? Hell, ain’t like I got anymore info to work with than you, so we’re on the same page.” He strokes Indrids cheek, “what d’ya say, darlin', will you let me help you out?”

Indrid answers with a kiss.

\-------------------------------

It’s Thursday evening of the following week, and Duck sits on the bed of the Winnebago in his boxers as Indrid prepares for the night, chattering as he wanders from room to room.

“.....not like I can’t control myself during it, so if you say stop I’ll stop, and I’ll try to refrain from saying too many unusual things.”

“You can say whatever you like darlin', long as you ain’t mean.”

By Indrid’s calculations, he’s still a few days away from the true start of what Duck has settled on calling his “extra-horny period” but they’d decided to use the remaining days to help them both get used to having sex with Indrid in his Sylph form. 

“Ready?” Indrid steps into the bedroom and shuts the door. Duck nods, and Indrid carefully removes his glasses.

“Holy shit!”

“What, is something wrong?”

“Indrid, you’re a different fuckin' color!”

In place of his muted, dark coloring, Indrid is coated in shades of yellow and pink. He looks down at himself.

“Oh, yes, these are my courtship colors. They only appear during this time.”

He taps his claws together nervously as he looks at Duck.

“Do you like them?”

“Don’t think I’ve ever seen anythin' so stunnin'.” Duck grins and Indrid gives a shy, happy chirp before joining him on the bed. He lays on his back and Duck nestles down on top of him, the way he often does when Indrid is like this. Indrid wraps his wings around him and Duck traces his finger up one edge of the left one.

“How d’ya wanna start?”

“I’m not sure. I keep sorting through the futures looking for the one with the best probability of success and I’m afraid I’ve nearly killed the mood for myself.”

“You want help gettin' it back?” Duck leans forward to kiss the wing.

“Yes, please.”

“Wanna know what I thought about durin' my shift today when it was so damn dull I near fell asleep.”

A shakier inhale and another, softer “please.”

“Thought about comin' over here to surprise you on my lunch break, shovin' you up against a wall soon as you let me and fuckin' you so hard you wouldn’t be able to walk for the rest of the day.” As he speaks he runs one hand up across Indrids chest and the other up and down his thigh.

“Ohhhhyes.” Indrid bucks his hips, which gives Duck an idea. He rolls in own in response, keeps a slow, even pace as he talks.

“Also thought about pushin' you down on that couch and suckin' you off until you screamed, mmm, you’d like that wouldn’t you darlin'?”

“Yesssoh, so much.”

“I can tell.” Something solid is rubbing up against his thigh and he’s got a good hunch as to what. He shifts down slightly, so that he can grind his cock against Indrids own. 

“Duck.” Indrid breathes out, one clawed hand coming to tangle in his hair.

“Right here, ain’t goin' anywhere, gonna make you feel so good.” He presses kisses against Indrids chest and stomach, down tickling his nose each time. In spite of being thoroughly outweighed, something about the way Indrid is whimpering and chirping underneath him makes the Sylph seem like something vulnerable that needs to be cared for. Protected. He rolls his hips faster and Indrid trills.

“There we go, darlin', there oh damn, ha!” He laughs as Indrid suddenly grabs and pulls him tight against him, thrusting hungrily. The friction from his boxers and from Indrids movements are nudging him towards a climax, familiar sounds of pleasure feeding his enjoyment (and, if he’s honest, his ego).

“That’s it, c’mon, fuck, wanna see what you look like when you come like this, wanna, ohshit, shit, Indrid.” He moans against pink feathers as he comes, slides a hand down to help Indrid along only to find it unnecessary as Indrid trills again, flexes his wings slightly, and comes as well. 

“Goodness.” He pants out as Duck climbs back up his chest to kiss his cheek.

“Glad you liked it. Think I’m gonna have to wash these boxers with a fire hose.”

“Er, yes, apologies.”

“Ain’t gotta apologize, damn that felt good. Could do with a drink, though”

“Of course, my sweet.” 

Duck rolls onto the mattress so Indrid can get up and pad out to the kitchen.

If being in his Sylph form makes Indrid that sensitive and eager to be fucked, the next two weeks are going to be a piece of cake. And amazing. An amazing, delicious piece of-

Crash

Glass breaks on the floor of the hallway and Duck jumps up to find Indrid doubled over, hands on his head. He holds out one hand to stop Duck from coming closer.

“I, something is wrong, wrong, feels wrong.” There’s a deep breath, “ Duck, I’m, I’m going to lock myself in the bathroom, I can’t get out that window, I want you to shove everything you can against the door and then go.”

“First part I can do, but I ain’t goin' anywhere. Not if you’re in pain.”

“Then for the love of all that is good, do not open that door no matter what I say.”

Those are the last words he utterss before the door slams shut. Duck wedges a chair under the nob, pushes every piece of furniture and heavy box he can fit against the door. 

He’s panting, hands on knees, when Indrid calls to him.

“Duck?”

“Indrid?”

“Let me out Duck, I need to see you.” The voice is thick and heavy with something unfamiliar.

“You told me not to darlin', and a, uh, promise is a promise.”

A scratch of claws against the door.

“Pleeease.” If it weren’t so menacing, the timbre of his voice would be almost playful. 

“No can do.”

Another scratch.

“Pleeeeease, Duck.

Another scratch, and another, mingling with those high pleas and Duck finally cracks, bolts out the door as fast as his legs will take him.

He needs a payphone, he needs to call the lodge and get Mama, get the others, get help. He finds it, mercifully has enough change on him.

“Amnesty Lodge this is Aubre-”

“Oh thank fuck, Aubrey, I need help.”

“Oh thank god, Duck, we’ve been trying to get a hold of you. We’ve got a situation at the lodge.”

“Fuck, shit, what do you mean?”

“It’s Barclay; he’s gone feral.”


	2. You Felt So Sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pine Guard tries to figure out what the hell is going on.

It’s Friday morning and the sun shines down on Amnesty Lodge as Cardinals and Sparrows call from the trees. 

They are the only calm creatures around.

In the lodge kitchen Barclay slumps on the counter, head in hands, not touching the tea Mama brings him. Aubrey flicks a small fire on and off in her hand while Ned chews the paint off one of his nails. Duck leans against a wall, half-asleep, as Indrid paces, agitated.

“I don’t understand how I didn’t see it coming. Even an abrupt shift offers some warning, with the exception of the ones caused by that tree.” He glares out the window, as if the whole forest might come to life to meddle in his visions. 

“We ain’t due for another abomination yet.” Mama tries to rub Barclays shoulder reassuringly, but he shrugs it off. 

“What if something’s gone wrong with the springs, or the crystal?” Aubrey offers.

“That don’t explain why it stopped this mornin' as suddenly as it started.” Duck yawns, tries to stifle it when he catches Indrids' guilty expression.

It had been dawn when Duck finally got to the lodge. He’d argued with Aubrey, and then Mama, on the phone, pointing out that they had enough to people to handle Barclay, and it wouldn’t be safe to leave Indrid by himself. What if he got loose? What if someone saw him?

(What if he got hurt?)

And so he’d sat outside the bathroom door of the Winnebago, Indrid coaxing and hissing and scratching in attempts to get Duck to free him. It was only as when frightened, soft voice asked for the glasses sitting on the kitchen table that he acquiesced, Indrid huddling into his arms as soon as the door opened and the frames were on his face.

“We also can’t be sure it’s the same thing affecting both of you, can we?” Ned taps his chin thoughtfully.

“Barclay, what did it feel like?” 

At Aubrey's words Barclay lifts his head, cards a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh.

“Like I was slipping away. Or, not even away, more like under, like I knew pretty soon I wasn’t going to be able to control myself. That’s why I locked myself in the pantry.” He jerks his head towards the open door framing a pile of torn-down shelves and scattered canned goods, with a helping of claw marks dug into every available surface. 

“If I hadn’t, I don’t know what would’ve….” He shakes his head, shudders, this time accepts the hand Mama puts on his shoulder.

“You did, so ain’t no good focusin' on the what ifs, you hear me?”

“I’m afraid, Ned, that Barclays' description matches what happened to me. I felt like something unknown and unpredictable was pushing itself to the front of my mind, and I didn’t want to risk finding out the hard way what it would cause me to do.” 

“Is it going to happen again?” Aubrey bounces her leg nervously. 

Indrid goes still and then the color drains from his face.

“Yes, it’s going to happen tonight.”

“Fuck.” Barclays head thunks down onto the counter.

“But if we know it’s comin', we can actually get you two somewhere more secure.” Mama picks her hat up off the table, shoves it on.

“I’m gonna go prep a space where we can keep you, Barclay. Indrid, we’ll fix up a room on the far end of the hotel so you can’t break out of it, I got very little hope that rustbucket of yours could hold up another night to you scratchin' at it.”

She’s gone before anyone has a chance to argue, although Duck can’t be sure if anyone besides him wanted to.

\-------------------------------------------------

His day at the station drags by. They’re in an off season so there are few visitors, and his research and survey data don’t hold his attention. Not when he’s so worried about Indrid and tonight that he nearly pukes into trashcan by his desk. 

When he arrives at the lodge it’s almost sunset, and the gloomy sky matches the mood inside the building. As he makes his way toward the room where Indrid will be staying, voices behind a door catch his attention.

“...so I won’t be able to come tonight.”

Barclay, he’s positive

“Oh, I see. Too bad, we were getting to a good point in this seasons' arc.”

Stern? What the fuck?

“I know. But I’m feeling like shit and I don’t want you catching whatever I have.”

Yeah, he’s going to skeedaddle before he hears anything he might have to lie about.

Indrid is sitting on the bed, sketching, when Duck arrives. He smiles, a look that only brightens once they’ve kissed. 

“Thought I’d stop by to say goodnight.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

“You, uh, you sure you don’t want me to stay here tonight? In case you get scared or hurt or somethin'?” 

Indrid hugs him, presses their foreheads together.

“It’s an appealing offer, but I can’t imagine last night was pleasant for you and I wouldn’t ask you to go through that again. Besides, if you go another night without sleeping you might trip over a root tomorrow, or run into a rock, or, um, or whatever mishaps tend to befall rangers.”

“They tend to be chipmunk based.” Duck grins and Indrid laughs before kissing him again.

“Goodnight, darlin'.”

“Goodnight, Duck. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

\-------------------------------------------

He should go to bed. It’s nearly midnight.

But he can’t sleep. He’s worried about his friends, about his boyfriend. He’s worried by the thought of a non-abomination monster coming after them all. Worried that means none of them will ever know a moments peace from here on out. 

So here he sits, half reading an issue of _Outside_ by the glow of the hallway light (he’d hoped that by keeping the light to a minimum he might be able to fall asleep on the couch. No such luck). There’s nothing on T.V to offer comforting background noise, and so it sits dark and useless across from him

The phone only gets the chance to ring once before he grabs it.

“Hello?”

“Duck, it’s Ned. We have a situation my friend.”

“Don’t tell me Indrid’s hurt, goddamnit I knew I should’ve stayed.”

“No, it’s not that. He’s gone, Duck, he tore through the barrier on the window and flew away.”

“Fuck!”

“Quite so. I’m going to scour town on the off-chance he headed that direction.”

“You want me to go check the Winnebago?” 

“Precisely. If you find out anything, call the lodge so Aubrey and Mama can stay informed, and if you can try and coax him back here. I’ll do the same if I locate him.”

“Got it, thanks Ned.”

He hangs up the phone, searches the floor for his shoes. Wishes it wasn’t so dark so he could find them faster.

Wait a minute, it wasn’t this dark a moment ago. It’s like something’s blocking the hall light.

Something big.

With slow terror, he lifts his head to look at the T.V. Reflected in the darkened screen are two red eyes, staring at him.

Behind him, a familiar voice speaks in strange, sing-song tone.

“Found you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: ?


	3. Our Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Indrid wants something.

Slowly, Duck turns so that he’s facing Indrid. 

When the Sylph sees his face, he smiles.

“Found you.” He says again, more of a chirp this time. 

“Yeah, uh, you sure did, darlin'. But uh, you’re supposed to stay in the lodge, remember?” Duck is carefully moving, inch by inch, away from Indrid, calculating how fast he can get to the front door. 

“But you weren’t there.”

“You asked me not to be, told me I had to get some sleep.” He’s managed to stand up. Indrid tilts his head, blinks at him.

“But I missed you. You’re my mate, you’re not supposed to leave me alone.” Indrid huffs, crosses his arms.

“That’s….” Duck freezes a moment too long in thought and Indrid closes the distance between them, scooping him up bridal style. He yelps, throws his arms around his neck on instinct.

“Don’t worry, I won’t drop you.” Indrid chirps reassuringly, bumps his forehead against Duck like a cat, “I will keep you nice and safe.”

Duck wishes he could believe that, is still struggling to make sense of what’s happening. Indrid’s not acting feral, at least not the way anyone’s ever described it. He’s mostly acting like he does when he’s happy, or feeling romantic. It’s just…not quite right. 

He sets Duck down on the bed, climbs on next to him and looks at him expectantly.

“Somethin', uh, somethin' you need?” 

Indrid extends his wings, points to them and indicates the color, then gestures to Duck, then the bed.

Oh. Oh no.

“Darlin', I know you’re thinkin' we’re uh, mates, and all, but uh, um, I, uh, I ain’t really in the mood for anythin' of, uh, of that nature.”

“Oh.” His antennae droop as he folds his wings back up.

It’s not that Duck doesn’t want to. On the contrary, if Duck was positive Indrid was all in there, if he could be sure Indrid knew what he was doing, he’d climb into that fuzzy lap in a heartbeat and kiss that sad look away. But he can’t, and so he stays put.

“I’m just real sore, and you know I didn’t get any sleep last night.” They’re not lies, he basically hurts all the time now.

“Yes, of course, you were up all night not letting me out of the bathroom. Because I asked you not to.”

Okay, he can remember things from previous incidents. Good to know.

“You are very good at doing what I ask. I like that you are.” He says softly, then straightens up with a grin. 

“I know what to do.” He tugs Duck forward by his arm, causing him to land on his stomach on the mattress. He panics for a moment when a clawed hand presses down on his back, realizing that he can’t get away if Indrid tries anything. But then the hand starts rubbing gently under his shoulder blades. 

“This will help you feel better.” The other hand comes to rest at the base of Ducks neck, begins working at it and he sighs, brings his hands up so he can rest his forehead against them. Indrids hands move methodically down Ducks back, his claws pressing down onto the most stubborn knots, making them dissapate without breaking the skin.

“Do you like this?”

“Uh huh, feels nice.” Duck mumbles into the blanket beneath them. Indrid chirps, pleased, and then a long tongue glides across the side of Ducks neck and cheek, making him shiver. He turns his head to find them face to face, Indrid grinning like he hasn’t seen Duck in years when their eyes meet. He rolls Duck over, and Duck is limp and sleepy enough to let Indrid shift him about on the bed until he’s face up, head in a fuzzy lap.

“Have to be thorough.” He massages the top of Ducks head with one hand, the other kneading at his thigh. He’s humming softly, occasionally brushing Duck fondly with his wing.

Against his better judgement, Duck falls asleep. 

\---------------------------------------

The alarm clock blares and as Duck reaches for it there’s the tell-tale swooshthwack of a wing shooting out to silence it. 

“Thanks darlin'.” He snuggles back up against the fluffy form in bed with him.

“It’s Saturday why is it, oh, right, you said you’re on rotation this week.” 

“Yep, no weekend fun for me.” 

“Mmm, my poor hard-working Duck. I’ll go start coffee, can you hand me my glasses?”

“Think you left ‘em at the lodge.” Duck yawns, sits up.

“The lodge, of course oh MY GOODNESS MAMA IS GOING TO HAVE MY HEAD!” Indrid sits up, antennae vibrating in panic.

“Wha-oh, fuck, right, you broke out last night.”

A high, frantic noise emanates from his boyfriend.

“Hey, it’s okay, how much damage could you have done?”

“I tore the window out.”

“Jesus.” 

“I wanted to see you. It was so strange, one minute I was drawing, the next I was tearing my glasses off and trying to figure out how to get to you like my life depended on it.”

“Why?” Duck pulls off his shirt, reaches into the closet for the days clothes.

“I was lonely and missed you and was _extremely_ aware of just how much I wanted to have sex with you. It was like nothing else mattered.”

Duck ponders over that statement as he showers, rearranges his plan for the day so that he can get Indrids' glasses before work. 

He’s standing at the kitchen counter, sipping is coffee when brightly colored arms curl around his stomach.

“You’ll stay put for the day, yeah?”

“Perhaps, thought I might run some errands, maybe stroll through downtown or see if Agent Stern wanted to get coffee.”

“Real funny. This is Kepler, we ain’t got a downtown.”

Indrid purrs as Duck takes on large hand in his own and kisses it. And then something solid rubs against his lower back.

“Before you ask, yes, I do believe my ‘extra-horny period’ has begun.” 

“I gotta go to work, darlin'.”

“I know, you’re wearing your uniform.” He continues grinding against him softly and purring.

“You behave yourself and I promise come Monday I’ll wear the uniform all day and do whatever you want while I’m wearin' it.”

“I look forward to it.” A kiss (really more of a lick) on the cheek and Indrid lets go of him, pats an affronted Winnie on the head and disappears into the bedroom. Duck looks at the clock, does the math on how long it’ll take to get the glasses and get to work. Assuming everything goes according to plan, he has five minutes to spare.

He grins, and heads into the bedroom.

\-----------------------------

Duck’s in a rush when he enters the lodge, nearly collides with Agent Stern as he rounds a corner. He stammers out an apology, then stops, stunned. Stern is in pajamas. Nice pajamas, to be sure, but Duck’s never seen the guy in anything less than business casual.

He’s also holding two coffee cups instead of one, and looks sad. No, worried. 

“Good morning, Ranger Newton, apologies for not seeing you.”

“Fault’s all mine, in a bit of hurry, gotta drop somethin', uh, fuck, somethin', no, gotta grab somethin' the boyfriend left here.”

“Of course” Stern steps aside, leaving Duck a clear path, “oh, by chance have you seen Barclay? He’s not in his room. He’s ill and I thought I’d…” he awkwardly gestures at the mug of tea in his left hand.

“Uh, nope, haven’t seen him. I’ll let him know you’re lookin' for him if I do.” With that he’s off, hurrying down the halls until he reaches Indrids' assigned room.

Mama glances at him when he enters before continuing to survey the damage, hands on hips. Indrid wasn’t exaggerating; the window is literally torn out, frame and all.

“You find him?”

“He, uh, found me. Came to my apartment right after Ned called.”

“Goddammit, you were supposed to let us know and then get him back here.”

“Hey, it slipped my mind! I had to manage an unexpected and extremely clingy Mothman.”

“Clingy?” Mama furrows her brow. 

“Yeah, he wasn’t aggressive or nothin'. Just wanted, uh, to, uh cuddle, fuck, um, do non-sex things, fuck.”

“Please, it’s been a long night, just spit it out.”

“He wanted to fuck me. We didn’t, on account of me not bein' sure what the fuck is really goin' on.”

Mama looks genuinely shocked.

“Barclay acted different than that, I'm guessin'?”

“Same as two nights ago, far as we can tell. Didn’t get out, didn’t have too nice a time where he was.”

She sighs.

“I know you gotta get to work, but can you spare ten minutes? We gotta sort some of what we’re learnin' out.”

So much for his carefully planned morning.

“Yep. Safehouse?”

“Nope, Barclay did a number on it. Aubrey’s room. I’ll be there in a minute.” She kicks at the debris, deep in thought, and so Duck leaves her to it.

When he arrives at Aubreys room, he finds the rest of the guard all in a similar state as the morning before. The only one looking happy is Dr Harris Bonkers, PhD, as he sits in Aubrey's lap. Ned touches his arm to get his attention and is about to speak when Duck gets a better look at Aubrey. 

She’s been crying. No, fuck, she _is_ crying.

He looks at Ned with a sinking feeling.

“Dani too?”

Ned nods.

“Dani too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Duck activates big brother mode.


	4. Why Must it Always Be Night?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duck comforts. And chokes.

Duck sits down next to Aubrey on the bed, puts his arm around her. 

“What happened?”

“We were hanging out last night, and just as we got all ready to watch a movie she just...doubled over, started breathing hard and panicking and then she threw me out of the room. I guess she locked herself in a closet after that, at least that’s where Mama found her in the morning. She, she kept calling for me, when I was waiting outside the door for Mama to get there to see what was happening. It should've been creepy but it was just so fucking sad sounding.” She wipes her eye, comes away with a smear of orange and black.

“What, ugh, that shits supposed to be waterproof.” She fiddles with the rabbits ears, sniffs, “today sucks.”

“If you want, when we’re done here I can make savory pancakes and you can take her some. I know she likes ‘em.” Barclay offers quietly, before continuing to pick at the bracelet around his wrist and stare out the window.

“Thanks, that’d be nice.” Aubrey's smile hangs for an instant before it crumples and her eyes go watery again.

Duck can’t bear it. It’s time for drastic measures. 

(Measures he hopes to god no one outside this room ever sees or mentions).

He hunches down onto the floor, carefully takes Dr Harris Bonkers, PhD from her and balances the rabbit on its hind legs on his thighs.

“It’ll be okay, Aubrey, don’t worry. You can figure it out.” He says this in high, squeaky voice as he uses his hands to make the rabbit gesture with its paws.

The faintest “what the fuck” escapes her with a small laugh.

“You are the mighty Lady Flame. And you’ve got, uh, Ranger Duck to help you out.”

A guffaw from behind him.

“Just make sure he has his helmet.” Ned adds, still giggling.

“You have Ned too, even if he’s a pain in the ass.” On the last word Aubrey cracks, laughter spilling out of her and filling the room, Ned's cascading after it. Even Barclay chuckles. 

Duck clears his throat, hands the rabbit back.

“That was the most ridiculous fucking thing I’ve ever seen.” Aubrey wipes a tear of a different kind from her eye before hugging him.

“Thanks, Duck, you’re the best.”

Yeah, okay, that was worth some of his remaining dignity.

\-----------------------------------------

The sun is setting, and it takes Duck’s mood with it.

When Mama had finally arrived, all they’d managed to piece together in the conversation that followed was that whatever was happening was tied to time of day; it started at sunset, ended at sunrise.

Other than that, they were all still stumped as to where it was coming from or how to make it stop. 

He was supposed to get off at five, leaving him enough time to be home before it got dark. But then there’d been an incident at one of the campsites, and he’s had to soothe tempers and fill out paperwork and curse that fact that people will pitch their tents in a swampy area even when there is a giant sign saying “unstable ground” right above it. 

By the time he shuts up the station the stars are coming out. As he heads home, his thoughts turn to the fact that earlier that day, when he’d tried to mention his conversation with Stern to Barclay, the larger man had frantically waved his hands in a “shut the fuck up” kind of way while jerking his head towards Mama. 

One more secret to keep. Just what Duck needs,

He climbs the steps up to the apartment, worry growing as fumbles with his keys. What if last night was a fluke and tonight Indrid is aggressive? What if he’s torn the place apart? Or flown off? What if he’s eaten the cat? 

The living room is dark, but there’s a faint glow coming from the bedroom. Winnie bumps against his legs in greeting, meowing happily. That’s one worry gone, then.

He’s halfway to the bedroom when there’s a flurry of movement and then he’s not on the ground anymore.

“You’re home!” Indrid chirps, spinning him about in a hug. 

“Gahhyep, hey darlin', missed you too.” He’s too discombobulated too notice where they’re heading until he’s flat on his back on the bed. It’s be rearranged slightly, the blankets and pillows shoved about to make veritable nest of soft items. 

“So handsome…” Indrid runs his hands across Ducks chest, fiddles with the buttons on his shirt. His other hand glides up Ducks leg until his palm rubs against the front of his pants. Duck arches his back, eyes fluttering shut. Then his brain catches up with him and he carefully moves Indrids hand.

“Still no?” The antennae droop again as Duck sits up.

“Until I’m positive it’s you in there, yeah.” He says gently.

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t feel any different now than you did this morning?”

“I want you, just like I wanted you this morning. Although I don’t care about my glasses as much as I did then. But I’m still Indrid, just like you are still Duck.”

“Well, I still got ‘em for you.” He pats his front pocket where the glasses are stashed just as his stomach rumbles.

“Oh, dinner!” Indrid disappears for a moment only to return with a pizza box and an enormous bottle of mountain dew. 

“I ordered your favorite. I slid the money under the door and asked the delivery guy to leave the box so he didn’t see me.” He holds the box out and Duck takes it. Indrid grins, uncaps the bottle and unfurls his tongue to begin drinking it like a hummingbird. Literally, if Duck remembers his ornithology reading from several decades ago. The Sylph sits down next to him, wraps one wing around his shoulder and nudges him closer. Duck relaxes with each slice and soon he’s more or less slumped against Indrids chest.

“It was nice what you did for Aubrey, with the rabbit.” Indrid murmurs

“Did-oh no, how did you see that?”

“The futures. It was cute. Things like that are why I think you’ll be good with our children.” 

Duck chokes on a pepperoni.

“Indrid, we can’t-”

“Oh no, not on our own. But there are other ways of acquiring offspring should we want them.” He says casually.

“Makes it sound like you’re gonna kidnap someone.”

Indrid shrugs in a decidedly non-reassuring way.

“My point is, you are a good friend and a good partner and I love you.”

Goddammit, he’d just got his windpipe clear. 

It’s just the the horny thing plus the whatever-the-fuck is affecting the Sylphs thing making Indrid say that, he’s sure of it. Mostly sure.  
Not at all sure.

He’s never told Indrid he loves him and the skinnier man has never told him the same. He’s kept it buried out of fear, fear that he’s moving too fast or getting too attached or getting hurt. 

To his relief Indrid doesn’t seem to notice his panic, continuing to happily slurp his drink, and so Duck lets it go.

The rest of the evening passes more or less normally, much to his surprise. The sole unusual piece being Indrids refusal to go more than thirty seconds without touching Duck. It’s nice, if a bit overwhelming. Whatever’s happening to Indrid at sundown, it isn’t making him feral. 

Duck isn’t sure how long he’s been asleep when the growling starts.

He blinks awake to find Indrid hunched on the edge of the bed, growling into the darkness.

“Everythin' okay?”

Large red eyes turn to look at him.

“Someone’s at the door.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------

“How long do we give them before we break it down?” Aubrey knocks again, worries her lip when there’s no answer.

“Way ahead of you my friend.” Ned kneels down, digging into his pocket and producing his lockpicking kit. 

A growl behind the door makes him jump, and Aubrey’s hands catch fire as it swings open.

“....Oh, Aubrey and Ned, hello!” Indrid stops growling, smiles brightly. 

“Hey y’all.” Duck mutters groggily, Indrids arms and wings draped around him like a colorful cape. 

They blink confusedly in unison.

“Why were you growling?” Aubrey cautiously steps inside.

“I didn’t know who was there. I thought it might be someone here to hurt Duck.” He shuffles backwards, still wrapped around Duck, until he plunks down on the couch. Aubrey sits down next to him, Ned in the chair across from her.

“Couldn’t you just look at the futures to see who it was?”

“I was too busy thinking about Duck.” 

“I believe we’re learning where the term lovebug comes from, wouldn’t you say so Duck?”

“Very funny Ned. Would y’all mind tellin' me why you’re here at” he glances at the clock, “four thirty in the fuckin' mornin?”

“Mama sent us to check on you, and with an update: it’s got Billy now too.” 

“Fuck.”

“I’ll say, he trashed my backroom.” Ned looks more worried than pissed. Indrid chirrs, concerned.

“What I don’t get is why they’re all going feral while you aren’t.” The bitterness is clear in Aubrey's voice.

“What if they aren’t either?” Duck offers.

Three sets of eyes stare at him in confusion.

“None of the others have been around anyone else after they get hit with this...thing. We only know how Indrid acts because he got out and came looking for me. What if everyone’s just assuming they’re goin' feral and over correctin' so nobody gets hurt? Or maybe this feels like goin' feral at first but then switches to somethin' else?”

“What do you think my lepidopterous friend?” Ned looks at Indrid.

“I was afraid that first night because it felt like I was losing control, which is how it feels when someone goes feral. But after that all I wanted was to see Duck. It’s the same now, the sun sets and all I want is to see him, be near him, take care of him, ma-”

“Okay, so I was right, see?” Duck hurriedly cuts him of.

They theorize for a bit longer, Ned taking notes on sheet of scratch paper to bring back to Mama, before the other two head out. Duck decides to make the most of getting up early, takes a leisurely shower (Indrid doesn’t join him due to space constraints, although he makes a valiant effort to squeeze in anyway before Duck shoos him out). By the time he’s done the sun is up, and Indrid is puttering about the apartment in his human form. 

“How you feelin?”

“Like myself, just like when you went in, although the urge to focus only on getting you into my bed has decreased by about ten percent.” 

Duck grabs pancake mix from the cupboard along with chocolate chips; they’re both up, no reason not to have a nice breakfast. 

Indrid sips his coffee

“I think it’s emotion-based. The change that keeps happening.”

“How so?”

“I’ve a hunch that what it’s doing is heightening the core drive I’m experiencing on a given day, and because it’s mating season, it narrows my focus down to basically you.” he taps his mug thoughtfully.

“That boosts my theory a bit.” He kisses Indrid softly as he waits for the pan to heat, turns back to the mixing bowl.

“Agreed. But if the futures are anything to go by, you’ll have a hard time selling Mama on it. Barclay too.”

“Fuck.”

“Not to worry, sweetheart. I have faith in you.”

“Thanks, darlin'.”

Should he ask?

“You should ask what you’re thinking of asking?” Indrid says quietly

“Did you mean what you said last night, about lovin' me?”

“Yes.” Indrid takes his hand, turns him so they’re facing each other.

“I love you, Duck Newton.”

His heart is a firework, a sunburst, a shooting star.

“I love you too, Indrid. So fuckin much.”

He kisses him, hard, feels every trouble, every battle, every scar, every disappointment he’s ever faced melt away.

Because Indrid Cold loves him. And that makes everything worthwhile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Indrid is booooored


	5. A Trip Down South

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Indrid makes a phone call.

Indrid is booooooored

He’s B.O.R.E.D

He’s so bored he’s run out of ways to describe how bored he is.

He’d actually forgotten about this part of it being mating season; many things become less interesting to him if they’re not sex-related. It’s even worse when the whatever-it-is kicks in at night; then all he can think about is being with Duck in every filthy way imaginable.

At least he’s managed to show Duck that he’s still himself when that happens. It’s just a self with a more or less singular focus. And because of that, Duck's said he's comfortable having sex with him in the evenings now.

It’s a little after eleven, and he’s already read through all his favorite parts of the _Cowboys Conquest_ series (Duck bought him the complete set a month ago). He’s gotten off six or so times, his need for it more or less relentless. 

Determined to do something productive, he grabs his sketchbook and sits on the couch. The futures are calm, for the most part, Barclay doing laundry, Leo doing inventory, Duck doing paperwork alone.

Alone. 

He flicks through specific futures, picks up the phone.

“Manogahela National Forest, Duck speakin'.”

“Hello, sweetheart.” He’s nearly purring just from the sound of Ducks voice.

“Hey, darlin', everythin' alright?”

“Yes, although I have a problem and could use your assistance.” He settles onto his back, legs propped on the arm of the couch. Duck will either ask what it is in five seconds or ….

“Are you suggestin' what I think you are?”

He’ll ask that.

“Indeed. I need you, Duck, badly.”

“Indrid I’m at work.”

“Mmmhmm, all professional and rangerly.” He slips a hand under the waistband of his sweats, strokes himself slowly.

“Are you-” his voice catches when Indrid chirps in pleasure, “you are. Holy fuck darlin', don’t think I got just how, uh, intense this uh, season, was gonna be for you.”

“Hard to, oh, describe it accurately ahead of time. C-can you talk to me?”

“You’re gonna get me fired.” He whispers.

“No I’m not. I’m watching the futures, your co-worker is on break and no visitors come for the next fifteen minutes.” He pauses, not wanting to push it if Duck is uncomfortable. But in most futures he says…

“You in your Sylph form?”

“Now I am.” He sets his glasses down on the floor.

“What’re you thinkin' about?” His voice goes lower and Indrid shivers. 

“You, how, how handsome you are.”

“Any part of me gettin' the most focus?” 

“Yes.” He moves his hand faster.

“You gonna tell me which one?” His tone suggests he already knows.

“The one I’m, oh, I’m going to suck as soon as you get home tonight.”

A sharp inhale. 

“Yeah? Gonna use that wild tongue of yours to get me off?”

“Uh huh.” He picks up the pace even more, in part because the visitors might be arriving sooner at the station.

“Gonna let me come all over those pretty feathers, let me make a mess of you?”

That makes heat unexpectedly course through his system and he moans into the receiver. 

“Shit, you like that, like, fuck, uh,” he’s stammering, but a glance a few seconds ahead shows he never touches himself, “like me treatin' you like the filthy, needy thing you are, oh you are fuckin' in for it tonight then.”

Indrid twists his hand on an upward stroke and that does it, he comes with a small moan, Duck laughing softly on the other end of the line.

“Damn, darlin', didn’t know that stuff turned you on.”

“At this point I think you could just speak nonsense and it’d turn me on. Goodness I love your voice.” He pants, then panics.

“Uh, um, future changed, visitors coming in less than a minute okayloveyoubye.”

Phew, that was close. 

He slips his glasses back on, dozes on the couch for a while, before deciding to sketch some more. Focus comes easily for the next little bit and he’s so engrossed in his work that he barely registers a car door slamming outside.

The front door swinging open and then loudly shutting does register, and when he looks up Duck is standing in front of the door, arms crossed and a very obvious tent in his pants. As soon as Indrid stands to greet him he’s on him, kissing him fiercely and pushing him down the hall. 

“You’re a fuckin' menace, you fuckin' good-lookin'” he tugs Indrids tank-top off and tosses it behind him, Indrid laughing against his lips all the while “irresistible, gonna be the death of me man.” On the last word he shoves Indrid backward and he lands on the bed with an "oof" as Duck shrugs his jacket off and drops it on the floor. 

“I been dealin' with this” he grabs Indrids hand and drag’s it against his hard-on, “on and off for an hour. Had to ahFUCK” he tilts his head back as Indrid eagerly continues palming him, “had to tell Martinez I was leavin' durin' my lunch because I, fuck, left somethin' turned on at home.”

Indrid grins without shame, kisses Ducks stomach and tugs at his belt. 

“Jesus, fuck, gimme two seconds.” He grabs a bottle of lube from where Indrid tossed it after fucking himself earlier, sets it on the bed as he undoes his belt and zipper. Indrid moves to take off his glasses but Duck grabs his hands, pushes him back onto the bed and pins them.

“Uh uh, I’m the boss right now darlin', and it’s gonna be easier to show you that if I can manhandle you. Now get these off before I tear ‘em off you.” He pats Indrids thigh and the skinnier man hurries to get his sweats off. Duck gets dominant like this infrequently enough he doesn’t want to waste any time. 

“Hands stay by your head, no touchin' unless I say so.” Duck’s adjusted his uniform enough to get his cock out and Indrid purrs, the thought of Duck fucking him like that while he’s naked making his cock twitch with interest. 

Duck thrusts in roughly, buries his hands in Indrids hair and kisses him. Indrid moans and, out of habit, wraps his arms around the rangers shoulders

“What did I just say?” Duck growls, pins his hands back down and holds them there, hips working in sharp, swift motions.

“S-sorry.” Indrid pants, grinning up at him.

“Gotta say I doubt it” Duck brings his lips to Indrids ear, “know you get off on makin' me treat you rough, don’t you?”

“Nnnnuhuh.” Indrid’s eyes flutter shut, the pull and drag of Duck inside him making his nerves spark with pleasure.

“That ain’t an answer.” Duck coos before biting down, hard, on Indrids shoulder as he pounds him into the bed.

“AhhAHyes, yes I do, Duck, please.”

“Please what?” He punctuates his words with a hard thrust and Indrid yelps, tightens his hands around Ducks.

“Please, please don’t stop, I need you, pleaseOHohMMPH” Duck crashes their lips together, groans into Indirds mouth as his hips stutter and he comes. After a moment he pulls away, delivers another, softer kiss, first on his mouth and then on his nose before withdrawing and standing up. 

Indrid desperately wants release, but a glimpse at the future tells him it won’t be coming. Instead, he’ll be getting something much, much better. 

Duck licks his lips as he leans back against the dresser, drinking in the sight of Indrid on the bed and making him feel very, very appreciated with the amount of unfettered lust on his face. 

“You know, responding like that is not convincing me calling you for phone sex during the work day is a bad idea.”

“That was you’re reward darlin', for makin my day a hell of a lot less dull.” He crosses back to the bed as Indrid sits up and the sylph hugs his arms around his waist, resting his head against him.

“Your punishment is that you ain’t gonna come right now. In fact, you ain’t gonna come until I get home. No touchin yourself in the meantime.” He toys with his hair and Indrid chirps, savoring the love in that small gesture.

“I can manage that.” Indrid sighs, nuzzles closer, knowing Duck will have to leave soon, and Duck leans down to kiss the top of his head.

He can totally handle those terms. 

\-------------------------------------------

Indrid is going to die, he’s sure of it. The sun’s been down for only a little while, and Duck’s called to say he’ll be late again due to a “chipmunk incident” and he’s not sure how much longer he can take it. 

He’s going to pass out from how badly he needs to mate with Duck. The thrill of abiding by the punishment that was so prominent in his mind prior to sunset is rapidly disintegrating, leaving behind only the need for Duck and, close behind it, the need for release. 

It’s easier to focus in this state than it was even a day ago, and he’s able to watch the futures long enough to see Duck pulling up to the apartment in two minutes.

They are the longest to minutes of his life. 

He sits on the bed, and when Duck steps into the his heart is a neon light, buzzing bright with anticipation. 

“Judgin' by how bad your antennae are shakin', I’m guessin' you behaved yourself.” Duck smiles warmly, puts his hat on the dresser and hangs his jacket on a chair.

“I did, all for you my sweet handsome Duck.” He chirps at the end of his sentence, notices that Duck laughs a little when he does.

“Someone’s excited.” He takes his clothes off slowly and Indrid can’t look away, follows him about the room with his gaze. When Duck pauses to rearrange some things in the closet, Indrid whines, opens his arms in hopes of enticing him with his bright colors and fluffy bulk. The human smiles indulgently, climbs onto the bed but holds out a hand to stop Indrid from clambering onto him.

“I’ll take good care of you, darlin', but first you gotta show me what that tongue can do.”

He feels the purr in his chest, bumps his head against Ducks cheek, and begins licking his chest, then his stomach, then his hips, desire to do what’s been asked fighting with his need to delight in every inch of Ducks body.

When he slides his tongue up the shaft Duck gasps, thighs tensing under Indrids hands. He repeats the movement, then curls his tongue around his cock twice, retracts it with slow, practiced concentration. 

“Fuuuckin hell, we shoulda done this ages ago.” Duck strokes the top as his head as he continues to lick and suck at him. When Ducks scratches a sensitive spot his body lights up and he stretches his wings with a deep purr, Duck shuddering with pleasure from the vibrations. He does it again, follows a hunch and this time when he coils his tongue around Duck he tightens it, pulls it back slightly before extending it again. 

“Yeah, like that darlin', oh fuck, fuck do that again.” He has a death grip on Indrids head as he jerks his hips up. Indrid would do anything for him when he sounds like this, so commanding and so undone all at once.

“I’m close, fuck, gonna make a mess of you just like I promised.” 

Indrid chirp-moans, flicks his tongue across the tip, urging him on.

“That’s it, shit, lemme coat those pretty feathers OHfuck,Indrid.” 

He shuts his eyes just in time. Foresight has its benefits.

As Duck pants and shakes against him he licks along his palps and the parts of his face he can reach, wipes at the rest with his hand but only succeeds in getting that sticky too. When he glances towards Duck the man is sitting up, dopey smile on his face and Indrid feels a blush under his down. 

“Do you really think my colors are pretty?”

Duck scooches closer, cradles his cheek with one hand.

“Course I do. You’re stunnin' to look at. Then again, I ain’t exactly impartial; love you dressed fancy, love you in feathers, love you in those ratty tank-tops you like so much.” He’s stroking Indrids wings now, and the rush of sensation makes him twitch his hips without meaning to.

“Believe you got another reward comin' for bein' so good for me. Stand up.”

Indrid gets to his feet at the edge of the bed and Duck moves to sit in front of him. He runs his fingers across his hips and thighs with one hand, the other reaching between his legs and wrapping around his aching cock.

He strokes it slowly and after a moment there’s a tentative lick across the tip and Indrid whimpers. A flurry of shy licks follow, making his knees weak, and when they stop he looks down.

Duck’s lips are quirked up in a smile.

“Same color as the rest of you, wasn’t expectin' that.” 

Indrid reaches down, draws a finger across his cheek and he leans into the touch.

“You’ll tell me if I’m doin' somethin' wrong?”

“YesOH, oh yessss.” Duck takes the first few inches into his mouth and sucks, and in the fog of need filling his brain Indrid remembers that Duck has never done this to his Sylph form before.

No human has. Goodness, he thought no human ever would.

And yet here’s Duck, his perfect, brave Duck, moaning around his cock and gripping his hips like a lifeline, his mouth welcoming and warm. A wave of arousal hits him and it takes all his willpower not to shove the humans head the rest of the way forward, to be as far inside of him as he can.

But no, that might hurt, and he would never hurt his Duck. And so he threads his fingers into his dark hair, enjoying the softness of it and stroking it encouragingly. Duck draws his head back to suck only the tip, tongue rolling across it and Indrid feels himself getting close. He’s been wound up all afternoon with no respite, and his body is barreling towards release even though he’d prefer to spend all night with Duck sucking him off. 

“Close, I’m close, please, please sweetheart I want to come so badly.” His voice comes out choked and needy and Duck rubs his thighs reassuringly and redoubles his efforts, head bobbing back and forth, the sight hypnotic enough that Indrids orgasm surprises him and he trills, one last burst of lust moving through him when he feels Duck swallow.

He collapses onto the bed next to Duck, who rolls into his arms and nestles up against him. 

“I love you so much.” Duck murmurs, soothing the still-mussed feathers around his face. 

“I love you too. You have been saying that so freely now.”

Duck puts his arms around him as best he can.

“Got a hell of a lot of ‘I love yous’ bottled up from the last few months where I felt it but was too damn scared to say it. Gonna say every one of them to you, and all the ones that come after.”

Indrid sighs happily, pulls his love close; he can live with that. And every ounce of love Duck gives him, he swears he’ll return in kind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Duck finally gets the day off.


	6. One Shot, Two Shots.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duck has a good day and a bad night.

Because he covered the weekend, Duck has Monday off from work. Much to his pleasure, he doesn’t wake up to a blaring alarm; instead it’s to Indrids fuzzy arms around him, the sylph sleep-chirping as he cuddles closer. 

When Indrid blinks awake he hums, hips moving in unconscious circles. Duck presses back against him, content and more than happy to let Indrid work through his morning wood as he floats in his warm embrace. One clawed hand shifts down to his hip, pulls him tight against Indrids body and after a few moments there’s a small moan he relaxes.

“Mornin', cutie.” Duck kisses the arm draped over his shoulder.

“Morning, my love.” Indrid sits up, puffs his feathers and then shakes them back down. Stretches his wings and arms with a yawn.

“Breakfast?”

“Worked up an appetite already, huh?” 

“I had half a capri sun for dinner last night, I’m starving.” He stands and heads into the kitchen, Duck following shortly after when the smell of coffee reaches him. 

It’s the ideal pace and plan for his day off; lots of fucking with breaks for snacks (and a few breaks to play with Winnie, lest she rage-shred another pair of his slippers). 

It’s early afternoon and Duck is laying on the bed, Indrid (glasses on) lazily working his cock into him. 

“Got any, ah fuck right there, insights on how we oughta do this, mister seer?”

“Well, after I have my way with you like this.” He sinks all the way and Duck moans, grips his fingers around Indrids shoulders, “we should use our new purchase to build you up tooOH, yes sweetheart move your hips like that again.”

He dips down, kisses Duck long and slow over and over again, humming each time their lips meet. Duck runs his hands along his back, cool skin under his fingers that gets goosebumps when he lightly drags his nails across it. Indrid mouths at his neck, teeth grazing but never sinking in.

“Can’t wait to try the fuckin' thing. It’s so funky lookin'.” 

“Soon, just, oh goodness as soon as I’m done with you like this.” His hips work faster and Duck hisses with pleasure each time his cock brushes against his prostate. There’s a growl against his neck and he smiles; this is a new feature of them fucking during Indrids extra horny period, this moment where a switch seems to flip and all Indrid can focus on is coming. Duck’s finding he likes it, likes the feeling of Indrid letting himself go, how primal and flattering that desire feels on his end.

Another growl and then Indrid relaxes, panting as the orgasm dies down. 

“Shall we?” He peppers kisses across Ducks chest, only stops when Duck rolls over and reaches under the bed to retrieve a box with “Mssr. G's Dick Emporium” across the top. He pulls out the neon colored cock as Indrid takes of his glasses. 

“How, uh….” Duck turns the item over in his hands, starts coating it with lube.

Indrid lays down on his side, pats the bed next to him and Duck lays on his side facing him. Indrid takes the toy from him, reaches one arm around him and begins slowly, carefully working it in. Duck presses closer, nuzzles against the soft pink fluff.

“There we go sweetheart, relax.” Claws knead gently at his back and neck as Indrid hums soothingly. 

The ridges on it and the size of the head have him moaning, the sensation novel and overwhelming in the best way. He hooks one leg over Indrids own, feels another, thicker ridge slide inside him. It’s only when Indrid laughs that he realizes the string of curses filling the room is coming solely from him. 

“Fuck, fuck, fucking hell.” Indrid pushes the object the rest of the way in and Duck groans, fistfuls of down in his hands as holds tight to his boyfriend. A long tongue caresses his cheek.

“You’re doing so well, I think you’re almost ready. Almost.” He drags the toy out halfway, shoves it back in and Duck presses his face against him, stifling the noise that escapes him. 

“Do you want to come now, or when you’re riding my cock?” He asks it the same way he asks what Duck wants for dinner, as if Duck wasn’t at this very moment shaking in his arms, soaking pre-cum and sweat into his feathers. 

“With, fuck, with you in me AHHoly shit.” He feels Indrid tremble with giggles as he works the toy faster and then suddenly pulls it all the way out. There’s a thud as he tosses it elsewhere in the room, shifts onto his back, hands stroking his cock as Duck straddles him.

“This position will make it easier for you to control the depth. And it will give me ample time to appreciate the view.” He spreads one hand across Ducks stomach, runs it up to his neck appreciatively before setting it back on the bed.

“Glad you like what you see.” Duck grins at him, braces his hands on the yellow of his stomach.

“Always. Ohhhhhyes, my my isn’t that a delightful image.” He purrs as Duck sinks a little ways down before drawing himself back up. He’s finding Indrid less overwhelming in size than the toy, but a hundred times more so in sensation. He swears to fuck the damn thing’s responding to him in a way that isn’t human, pulsing and rippling every so often. Added to that is the fact that right there is Indrid spread out beneath him, the strange, wonderful being, a myth incarnate, looking at him like he’s the most glorious sight he’s ever seen.

“You are, oh, oh goodness, sorry, responded to the wrong timeline.” He places his hands on top of Ducks, smiles.

“Don’t gotta apolOHgize, oh fuck yeah, there we go.” He sinks most of the way down, begins bouncing up and down as best as his already sore thighs will let him. Indrid chirp-moans, lifts his hips in response as Duck finds his rhythm.

“What a sight you are, my sweet little human, riding my cock so well, oh, taking all of me so eagerly, and you’re all mine.”

“Damn right.” Duck grinds down harder on those words and Indrid trills, hands clawing at his hips. It’s then that his thighs threaten to give out, but Indrid sees it coming, steadies him. And then lifts him up and down as if he weighs nothing. A whimper spills out of him at the thought of all the strength hidden under those feathers.

Indrid pauses, tilts his head.

“You like that?” He lifts Ducks ass up again, slowly pumps in and out, “you enjoy the fact that I am much, much bigger and stronger than you, my sweet one?”

“Yes, Indrid, holy fuck yes.” He whispers, nearly salivating at the change in Indrids tone.

“Mmmm, then I should tell you how lovely it is to have such a small, accommodating human as a mate. Such a tight, cozy fit, doing exactly what I need.” He pulls Duck back down and he yelps as a flash of pleasure moves through him. Indrid laughs again, this time a low, hungry sound.

“Would you like me to show you what your purpose is right now, my love.” 

“Uh huh.” He breathes out, sweat stinging his eyes as he gazes down at Indrid. 

Indrid purrs at his answer and then the sound morphs into a growl as he throws his arms around Duck, pulling him down against him and flipping them over to loom above him. One hand loops around Ducks back, the other braces in the pillow by his head and then Indrid is moving, fucking him hard and with enough enthusiasm that Duck’s sure the bed frame is a goner.

“You are, goodness, going to let me fill you up and I am going to make you cum so hard you’ll be thanking me for, for weeks.”

Duck is eye-level with Indrids neck and collar-bone, presses his lips against them only to bite down on a particularly hard thrust, moans and whines as Indrids bulk rubs up against his neglected cock. 

“That’s it, bite and claw and moan as much as you want, sweet one, I want to feel just how much you need me, how much you need this.” 

Duck digs his nails into Indrids biceps, gets a pleased laugh in response.

“Oh this feels so good, so nice to have my perfect mate underneath me.” 

“Fuck, darlin', you feel incredible, please, please don’t stop.” The friction on his cock is edging him towards climax and he lifts his hips to beg for more. 

“I wont, don't worry, I want you to come as I fill you up, it’ll make you all the more ready to take more.” He guides Ducks hand down in between them and he gets the message, strokes himself fast and rough as Indrids embrace on him tightens and then he’s coming with an obscenely loud moan just as Indrid spills inside him. 

Jesus, he thought that simultaneous shit only happened in porn. Then again, his boyfriend can see the future, which is bound to help with timing. 

As his gasps even out into breaths, he realizes that Indird is already moving again. 

“There we go, nice and relaxed for me.” He strokes Ducks hair, rubs his cheek against the top of his head, all the while his cock pulls Duck along the razors edge between pain and pleasure. 

“Don’t uh, don’t know how much use I’ll be so soon after ohshit, oh fuckin' hell that feels nice.” The angle and slower speed are overloading his mind with enjoyment.

“My sweet one, all you need to do is stay right where you, oh gracious, are, and let me fill you up again. I don’t, don’t want anyone else to have you, want you for mine and mine alone.” His hips gain speed as he speaks, that same switch clearly flipped in his brain.

“‘M all yours, darlin'.” He reaches up to touch Indrids cheek, watches his eyes flutter closed.

“Yes, yes my mate, my Duck, my love, oh yes, oh there we go, now you’re mine, mineminemine.” The last word dies into a chirp and Duck feels him cum.

This time he pulls out, curls up next to Duck with one hand resting on his chest, shuddering and making small, high sounds.

“Goddamn, I ain’t gonna be able to walk for a week after that.” Duck pats his hand, cracks his neck.

There’s no answer from beside him.

“Magic eight ball?” 

“I, that, that was too much, wasn’t it? Those things I said.”

Duck turns to meet a pair of worried, red eyes.

“I kinda liked it, don’t usually get to feel all small and safe while still bein' fucked within an inch of my life. The matin' things a bit weird on account of how we can’t, y’know” he makes a hand gesture that he hopes conveys the entire process of reproduction, “but I didn’t mind it.”

“I wasn’t out of control?”

“Had I said stop, would you’ve?”

“Of course. I even kept an eye on the future to make sure nothing I did would hurt you.”

“Then I’m gonna say you had plenty of control. Just got a bit rough and wild, and hey, no complaints there.” He kisses Indrids forehead.

“Thank you, Duck.” Indrids eyelids droop.

“Any time, darlin'. Love you, and I love fuckin' you.”

“Likewise.” Indrid mumbles and then he’s asleep.

Duck dozes along side him and awakes to ringing phone around four.

“Duck? It’s Aubrey. I have good news.”

“‘We solved the mystery’ good or ?” He tosses a toy mouse for Winnie.

“Not quite. But Mama’s willing to give your theory about this not being Sylphs going feral a chance. You want my guess, I think Indrid’s on to something with the whole “core emotion” thing. I’m gonna stay with Dani and see what happens, Mama’s gonna talk to Barclay, and Ned’s gonna keep Billy in a room at the lodge and see if he can get through to him.” It’s the first time in day she hasn’t sounded nervous or sad when discussing Dani. 

“Y’all need help?”

“Can you come be back-up? Or is Indrid gonna keep you in his love nest again?” 

He peers into the bedroom. Indrids wings quiver slightly in his sleep; must be dreaming about flying.

“Yeah, I should be able to make it.”

“Awesome, see you then!”

As soon as he hears the click, he heads back to bed and falls asleep, as safe and happy as can be.

\--------------------------------

The phone wakes him up again.

“Duck, it’s Mama, we got a problem. It’s Barclay, he’s, he’s bolted.”

“What?” Duck spots the dark sky outside, begins tugging on clothes he can be seen in.

“I think the idea of, of bein' around me or other folks when he changed made him panic and I have no fucki'n idea where he went. He’s in the woods, I hope to fuck he didn’t go through the gate.”

“I’m on it, I’ll see if I can find him.” He hangs up, grabs his shoes.

“Duck?” Indrid sways sleepily in the bedroom doorway.

“I gotta go out, Barclay's in trouble. Possibly other folks might be too, dependin' on where in the forest he goes.”

“I’ll come. I do not want to be away from you. Also it could be dangerous. And yes, I will wear my glasses because it will make you less stressed if I do.” With that, he disappears and reappears in his “I Heart Kepler” sweatshirt and duck pajama pants.

“I’m ready, let’s go.”

\--------------------------------------

The flashlight beam sweeps across the treeline, then the lake edge. Nothing.

No wonder Stern has been tracking Bigfoot for years with no luck. For a giant creature, the man really can disappear. 

“Indrid, any luck with the futures?”

“It’s hard to focus on them. But, but I think something is about to come down…” he turns in a half circle, points, “that pathway.”

“When?”

“Ranger Newton, Mr.Cold, what are you doing out here?” Agent Stern sees them as he rounds the corner. He’s in his work clothes, sans jacket, and looks disoriented.

“I, uh, fuck, got a um, call, sayin' there was a wild animal, uh situation? So duty called.”

Stern blinks at him, unamused. 

“You are wearing a Kepler High class reunion T-shirt and torn jeans, not standard ranger attire. And, last I checked, Mr. Cold does not work with the forest service.”

“Nor do you, so why are you here.” Indrid arches an eyebrow.

“If you must know, I’m looking for Barclay.”

Oh fuck.

“I saw him run off this direction an hour ago, looking deeply distressed. If he is in the midst of an emotional or mental break-down, the woods at night is the last place he needs to be.”

“I’m, uh, sure, Barclay, can, uh, take care of himself. How about you come back to the lodge with us.” He reaches out to guide Stern by the shoulder, but the man slaps his hand away.

“I am not going anywhere until I find him. He could be hurt, he could be upset, he, he may need me-”

Crunching, cracking in the lakeside brush behind them. All three turn at once.

Standing in the moonlight is Bigfoot. And he looks really, really pissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Duck kidnaps a federal agent. And that's only his second biggest problem.


	7. If You Are, Then I'm Not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Indrid is protective. Barclay is angry.

“Oh dear.” Murmurs Indrid.

“Oh, fuck.” Whispers Duck.

“I knew it!” Stern gasps.

Barclay growls and Duck takes a tentative step forward.

“How, uh, how you doin' big guy?” 

“Duck, are you insane?” Stern grabs his forearm to keep him from moving further, ignoring the small warning hiss from Indrid.

“What is _he_ doing here?” Barclay points at Stern, teeth clenched tight in snarl. 

“It...it can talk.” 

“Yeah, _it_ can.” Barclay takes another step towards them just as Duck manages to get the FBI agent behind him.

“Been lookin' all over for you Ba-, uh, buddy.” Maybe he can at least keep Barclays role in all this a secret. 

“I came out here for a reason, Duck. To keep everyone safe, and to keep myself safe from the person who’s been hunting me.”

“In that case, why don’t we take him back to the lodge?” Indrids voice is smooth, calmer than the shaking hand he touches to Ducks arm.

“I am not going anywhere. Bigfoot is the whole reason I’m here, and I intend to-”

“-if you say the words you are about to say we are in trouble so please don’t.”

“-bring him in and learn why he’s tied to so many disappearances!”

“I was afraid you’d say that.” Barclay mutters, hands and expression twitching as if he’s trying to keep control of himself. Then he fixes a frightened, furious gaze on Duck.

“Move out of the way, or I’m gonna move you myself”

“Nope.” 

“Duck, he’s a threat, he wants to hurt me, he, I, I don’t want to, but, but it’s-” He cuts off into another growl.

“It’s alright, Ranger Newton, I’m prepared for this situation.” He pats his side and for the first time Duck notices the holster. 

Barclay gives a guttural howl and advances.

“Hold these.” Indrid hands Duck his glasses, steps in front the humans with his wings out.

“Do not threaten him again. He’s my mate, and I will protect him. Duck, you need to start running.”

“Mothman? But there haven’t been any si-”

Barclay makes the same howl, Indrid screeches in response.

“Not the time, we gotta go.” Duck grabs Stern and drags him back through the woods. His special strength may be gone, but he’s got adrenaline and stubbornness in spades and that’s almost as good. Stern puts up a decent fight, and is still yelling about going back as Duck shoves him into the car.

“You see anythin' chasin' us that ain’t bright pink holler and-, I swear to christ if you don’t stop trying to dive out the door I’m usin' the duct tape in the back seat to keep you still.”

That makes Stern freeze. Duck can’t watch him as he speeds down the road, but he can hear the gears turning in his head.

“....Did the Mothman refer to you as his mate?”

“First off, his name is Indrid. Second, yes, he did, but it’s to do with a uh, uh, phase? He’s goin' through right now.”

“I see. You’re remarkably calm about the fact your boyfriend is a famous cryptid.”

“Had some time to adjust.” Gravel flies under the wheels as he pulls up to lodge.

“Well, this has been enlightening. I will head to my room for the night, I think, and make some notes.” He gives a tight smile.

“Yeah, that’s kinda what I thought.” Duck pulls a roll of silver tape from the back seat. Auto-locks the passenger door. 

“I can’t lie for shit, but I can tell when someone’s plannin' to sneak out a window. Hands out.”

Stern glares at him but complies. He hopes the others are having a better night than he is.

\--------------------------------

“How are you doing, my friend?” Ned asks through the wooden door.

“Pizza.” Comes the petulant reply.

“I know this is not ideal, and that you’d hoped to eat the leftover copies of the Lamplighter, but isn’t this much more pleasant than banging your head against the displays at the Cryptonomica?”

“Pizza.” He can hear the shrug in that answer.

“Do you feel angry, upset, or otherwise filled with negative humor?”

“Pizza.” He sounds tired, resigned.

“Me too, my friend, me too.”

\--------------------------------

“How do I look?”

“Delicious, oops, sorry, poor choice of words.” Dani sits on the bed, grinning as Aubrey models her new performance look.

She’d gambled on Indrid and Duck being right, and so far it’s paying off. Dani’s main emotion had been fear when the change first kicked in, but Aubrey held her hand and, when that didn’t result in Dani biting her neck or anything, curled up in bed with her. 

Once Dani was calmer, they agreed that it would be best to try and have a normal evening and see what happened. Aubrey’s been paying close attention, and other than being even more affectionate than normal, nothing seems that different about her girlfriend.

“Then again, I might need a closer look.” Dani flutters her eyelashes and Aubrey snickers, walks over and straddles her lap.

“Better?”

“Hang on, you have some lint right here.” She brushes off the lapels of the tux jacket before grabbing them and pulling them both headlong into bed, kissing Aubrey’s neck up one side and down the other.

Honestly, she thinks as she tugs the jacket off and slips her hands under Dani's skirt, what were the others so worried about?

\-------------------

“You realize this is kidnapping, right?” Stern looks down at Duck as the ranger finishes bolting the door to Barclays room (not like he’s gonna use it anytime soon).

“Trust me, this is for your own good.” He sits down in a chair, arms crossed and heart going a hundred miles a minute. He’d assumed Indrid would follow them once they got away, but there’s no sign of him. If he could be sure Stern wouldn’t use some secret-agent style shit to get out of the tape, he’d already be hauling ass back towards the lake.

“Duck, you may be, well, dating the mothman, but I don’t see why you’re protecting Bigfoot.” Stern’s incorporated the new information about Indrid into his worldview with remarkable speed.

“He’s my friend.” The answer comes out before the thinks it through, so he tries to cover, “uh, in the uh, sense that all creatures of the forest are my friends. Y’know, ranger and all that. More to the point, I’m protectin' you.”

“I’ve trained most of my career to deal with just these types of situations.”

“Don’t mean you wouldn’t end up regrettin' what you did durin' one of them."

“Come again?”

“Nothin'. I'm gonna stop talkin' now."

Stern sits down on the bed and sighs, looks across at Duck with worry in his eyes.

“What if I promised I wasn’t going back to look for Bigfoot, but that what I really need to do is find Barclay and make sure he’s safe?”

Duck makes a zipper motion across his lips and Stern frowns.

“How can you be so calm knowing he’s out there with a monster on the loose. Please, Duck, let me go look for him.”

Duck shakes his head, and Stern opens his mouth to say more when the door flies open with a crack, the bolt skittering across the ground. 

“Duck!” Fluff fills his vision once again as Indrid scoops him up and Duck embraces him, relieved. The sylph goes to spin him in a hug and then chirrs in pain, puts him down.

Duck looks at his shirt. That red wasn’t there before. 

“It’s alright my sweet, the wound isn’t deep.” Indrid cups his face, presses their foreheads together. Then narrows his eyes.

“You. I told you not to say anything about trying to arrest Bigfoot, but you did and he almost hurt my Duck.” He hisses, closes his wings protectively around the ranger.

“But don't you see, this is exactly why I have to find him and apprehend him. He’s clearly dangerous.” He indicates Indrids wound.

“He did this when I was fighting with him to keep him from chasing you. As soon as he saw he’d hurt me, he stopped fighting. When I let go, he ran away into the woods.”

“Dammit.” Duck knows the area they were in, there are a hundred spots where Barclay could hide and a lot of routes that would take him dangerously close to humans. 

“I tried to follow him, but he really is unfairly good at hiding. I, I’m sorry, I know that isn’t what you wanted.” There’s an apologetic chirp and Duck gazes up to find Indrid shrinking in on himself.

“Hey, hey darlin' it’s okay, ain't angry at you or nothin'. Just worried about our friend. How about I get you fixed up so you can put on your glasses for a bit, to be safe? Promise I get your feathers all nice and clean before you do.”

Indrid takes his hands, dips his face down to fluff his cheeks against them. 

“You’re such a good human, so good to me, I love you so much.”

“Love you too.” He smiles.

“Ahem.” Stern interrupts them, holds up his still-taped hands. 

Duck looks at Indrid, who shakes his head. 

“Every future where you take them off he gets back out into the woods, and in many of them you follow him and get hurt. Best to keep him here and talk with Mama in the morning.”

Duck runs a hand through his hair. It's going to be a long night.

\--------------------------------

They’re in the safe house, Aubrey and Dani whispering to one another on the couch and trading stealthy(ish) kisses, Ned biting his nails again, Mama pacing the floor, Indrid curled up in Ducks lap, and Stern sitting awkwardly in a chair, no longer bound.

“Any sign?” Mama turns to Indrid, whose gaze goes far-off. 

“He’ll be here soon. And he’s alright, Madeline.” Duck’s not sure he’s ever heard Indrid call her that before, but something about the gentleness with which he says it makes her shoulders drop a bit.

“Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on?” Stern looks at the group.

“Well, first we’ll take a vote to decide which monster to feed you to-” Aubrey says before Mama shoots her a warning glance.

The door swings open and Barclay staggers in. Duck’s seen roadkill that looked more lively. 

“You’re alright.” Stern is out of his seat in an instant, hugs Barclay while several jaws drop (for once, Ducks’ isn’t one of them). Barclay looks down, realizes who it is, and shoves the smaller man away.

“No thanks to you.” He moves towards the back of the room, Dani and Aubrey clearing room for him on the couch.

“What!? I was out looking for you, I wanted to help you.”

“Help how, by shooting me?” Barclay freezes when he sees the shock on Sterns face.

There are three beats of perfect silence. Then Mama speaks, kicking off a cacophony.

“You tried to SHOOT HIM?”

“I, what, that was _you_ last night?”

“How did Duck not tell you?”

“Hey, gimme some credit!”

“Uh, Duck, there’s something com-”

“Barclay, say the word and he’s on fire.”

“Would you stop threatening me long enough for Barclay to explain how he’s fucking BIGFOOT.”

“You didn’t recognize my voice? Of course, why would you, you don’t even care-”

“Um, everyone, we should-” Indrid looks panicked.

“Stern, you got a count of ten to get the hell out of my lodge and if you show your face again so help me-”

Duck gives a high, sharp whistle and the room goes silent. He nods at Indrid.

The man shakes his head, pale hair falling into his eyes.

“It’s too late.”

Sterns' eyes go white, and begin to glow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: A revelation


	8. An Old Time Remedy For Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judgements are made.

“Finally.” Stern says in a voice that is not his own, a deep whisper.

“Finally what?” Aubrey is on her feet, hands flickering with the promise of fire.

“Someone reacted how they ought to have all along.” Sterns face stretches into a grin that makes Indrids' look tame.

“I knew there was something fishy about you, Mr. “FBI Agent.” Aubrey makes air-quotes before motioning to Duck’s belt. He gets the messages, draws Beacon.

“Hmm? Oh, you misunderstand, this human is merely a convenient conduit at this moment. I am something far more powerful.”

“Reckon you’re about to tell us what.” Mama crosses her arms.

“I am judgement, Madeline Cobb. I am the sentence too.”

Mama rolls her eyes.

“I cast a spell to remind you, monsters in mens clothing, of what you truly are, your basest natures. After all, that is the punishment befitting your crimes. You,” it points at Dani, “outcast that you are, who left your proper place behind, who cloaks yourself in gentle clothes to hide the violence you’re capable of.”

A flash a fire at Not-Sterns feet, which only makes him laugh as he turns on Barclay.

“You, running from a past you will never confront, willing to align your heart with the one who’d see you in chains and betray she who is closest to you.” 

Barclay looks at Mama, stammering, “I, I’d never choose anyone over the guard, you know that.”

“And you, Indrid Cold. A seer so incompetent he has the blood of many on his hands. Who thinks that things will be different now, out of the foolish notion that a human loves him, never mind that human may die from the very things your foresight could prevent.”

Indrid’s face is blank, but that doesn’t stop the anger that sparks through Duck.

“Alright, that’s enough you-”

“Ah yes, the aforementioned human. You are deserving of punishment as well. You squandered decades of power, a million chances to help others, only to accept your destiny at the moment at which you became most useless. And then you chose to help a woman who knows she is fighting a losing battle but will not accept defeat, even though she understands the fight will cost her those she wishes to protect.”

For the first time, Mama looks afraid.

“Those such as the magician whose greatest trick was burning her house down with her own mother inside.” 

Aubrey drops to her knees, shaking, as Ned steps forward.

“I will not permit you to speak to my friend like that.”

“Oh really, crooked one? Do you still labor under the impression that a few good deeds make up for a lifetime of hurting others, perhaps even a future of bringing harm upon the ones you once cared for?”

The color drains from Ned’s face and Not-Stern turns in slow, triumphant circles.

“The goat-minion was merely collateral, symmetry if you will. And now I must depart. You can have your friend here back, Barclay, though I doubt you’ll want him. The sentence is far from complete for any of you. I shall be seeing you all again very soon.”

Stern collapses to the floor as the others stand still, a collection of broken-hearted statues. 

It’s Dani who goes to help him, once she settles Aubrey onto the couch, guiding him onto his feet.

“Wh-what happened?”

“You got possessed. Happens around here sometimes.” Mama shrugs, voice gruff, “And you said a lot of things for all of us to think about and discuss. So if you didn’t need to get gone already, now you gotta go for sure.”

“If I might interject, Mama, our government friend here still knows a great deal more than we want getting out into the world. I suggest we keep him around and secure until we figure out what to do.”

“He ain’t stayin' here.” Mama glances at Barclay, seemingly for confirmation. He nods. 

“We need somewhere still in town, where one of us can guard him and where he can’t accidentally come into contact with other people.” Ned stares at the ceiling, thinking.

“What is it with you people and kidnapping me?” Sterns question goes answered as Ned suddenly looks at Duck with a light in his eyes that gives him a sinking feeling.

“Uh uh, no way, not a chance.”

\------------------------------------------------------------

“Look, I ain’t any happier about this than you are.” Duck finishes locking the door and hiding the landline in his bedroom while Stern, handcuffed on both his wrists and ankles, glares at him from the couch, “this is my other day off this week and I didn’t plan on spendin' it babysittin' you.”

“Duck?” Indrid hasn’t spoken since the incident in the safehouse and Duck breathes a sigh of relief at his voice.

“I’m, uh, going to excuse myself. To the bedroom. For awhile. Possibly the rest of the day.”

He’s gone before Duck can ask if he’s alright. Or if he’d like company. 

“Why do I sense I’m in the way of something?” Stern flops back onto the couch.

“Because you’re cockblockin' me.” He’s too tired and cranky to dodge the issue. 

“I’m terribly sorry your kidnapping me is interfering with your sex life.”

Duck groans, heads into the kitchen for coffee. What does Barclay see in this guy?

There’s silence save for the coffee maker and Winnie demanding attention. Duck does the dishes, makes a new jug of Kool-Aid for Indrid.

“Do you think he’ll forgive me?” The voice from the couch is smaller than normal.

“Barclay? Maybe, seems like he’s kinda attached to you.”

“Really? I, well, I thought he was but he’s seemed...conflicted about it lately.”

“Gee, wonder why.” Duck sticks the pitcher in the fridge. His comment shuts Stern up for the next little while. When Duck goes to check on him, the agent is sound asleep.

He takes his chance, slips into the bedroom. Indrid’s in bed alright, but not doing what Duck thought he’d be.

The skinnier man is on his side, curled in on himself. He’s making a high, sad noise that Duck’s only heard once before, when Indrid was having nightmares about his past. Duck kneels down at the edge of the bed, touches his cheek and feels the tear tracks. 

“Darlin'?”

Behind red lenses Indrids eyes blink open, sending tears down his face and he sniffs.

“You been doin' this the whole time?”

A nod.

“Oh jesus, Indrid, honey come here.” He climbs on the bed and Indrid burrows into his arms without hesitation.

“I, I’m, I couldn’t, should’ve” the words come out in hiccups and Duck pets Indrids hair, hugs him tighter each time he shakes with a sob. 

“I’m assumin' what that thing said got to you, like it was tryin' to get to all of us.”

“Uh huh.”

“Indrid Cold, don’t you pay that weird glowin' fucker any mind.”

“But it’s right, Duck, I failed so many times I gave up on preventing disasters. Then you came along, changed the future, saved people because of my warnings. I, I thought maybe that meant it could be different, that I could be with people, but, but.”

“But nothin'.” He says softly, tilts Indrids chin to look at him, “You saved me at least once since then, bet you got a lot more heroics in you than that. And even if you didn’t, wouldn’t change how I felt about you.”

The ghost of a smile.

“I love you, don’t matter if you fucked up before or if you do again, don’t matter if you wake up tomorrow and can’t see the future, don’t matter if you stayed your mothself for the rest of your life. I love you and that ain’t gonna change.”

Indrid kisses him, a small hum coming from him in place of tears. Duck takes his time, draws his lips up and down his singular face, traces his fingers across his body until Indrid chirps and pushes him onto his back.

“Feelin' better?”

“Much, my love. And if it weren’t for our guest out there…” he trails his finger along the outline of Ducks cock, grins when the ranger arches into his touch, “I would show you just how much better.”

“Is he gonna try somethin'?”

“No, but knowing someone can hear me while I’m making you beg for it isn’t really my thing, mating season or no.”

“What if we made it quick and I promised to be quiet?”

Indrid considers him for a moment, then removes his glasses. 

“Pants off.” 

Duck obeys and as soon as he does Indrid pulls him so that his back is pressed up against Indrids chest. One hand grips his cock, the other comes up to cover his mouth and then Indrid is rutting against him, stroking him in time with his thrusts.

He bites back a moan as Indrid runs this thumb along the tip, and Indrid purrs quietly in his ear.

“Goodness, this season is so much nicer with a partner, especially one with such lovely assets.” He twists up at the end of his strokes for emphasis, the movements coming faster and faster and Duck has to bite the palm covering his mouth to keep from swearing as he comes.

A loud chirp escapes Indrid as Duck feels a familiar stickiness on his ass and lower back. Indrid licks his neck lovingly, panting.

“I think that was as quiet as we could hope for.” He wipes Duck off with the sheet and Duck flips onto his other side, kissing and nuzzling him happily. 

“What that thing said didn’t affect you? 

“That’s some pillow talk you got there.”

“Sorry, I was just future sorting and it occurred to me.”

“I mean, it sucked to hear, but darlin' I’ve had several months of power loss where my brain was tellin' me those same things, only worse and near-constantly. Got pretty good at arguin' with them, or ignorin' them. Ain’t nothin' I’m gonna go to pieces about…” An idea flashes, just for a moment, in his mind and he follows it’s path before sitting bolt upright.

“Grab the phone outta the closet while I find my pants. I gotta call the Lodge ASAP. That ain’t no ‘judge.’ It’s the abomination coming early, and I think I know what it’s plannin'.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Duck has a plan.
> 
> But not just yet. I'm taking a short break to make sure the final part of this is plotted how I want it, and to write a separate one-shot.


	9. All Their Blame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exposition occurs. As does trouble.

“I know it’s short notice, but I’m glad y’all could join me.” Duck stands at the head of the table in the safe-house, the remainder of the Pine Guard seated around it. 

“Some of us did not have a choice.” Stern mutters from his spot on the couch. Duck ignores him.

“You really think it’s a bom-bom doing this?” 

“Sure do, Aubrey. Indrid and I were talkin' about it, and it occurred to me that we’re this close” he holds his thumb and finger up with barely an inch between them, “to playin' straight into its hands. Think about it, what was the pattern of who got taken over by the weird change thing?”

“Barclay, me, Indrid, and Billy. All Sylphs with strong connections to humans.” Dani taps her fingers on her arm, thinking.

“Bingo, but which humans?”

“Well, Indrid is to you, obviously” Aubrey gives him a knowing grin as Indrid adjusts the scarf around his neck to better hide his hickey, “this cutie is connected to me,” she squeezes Dani’s hand, “and Barclay is connected to mister FBI Agent over there.”

“Not for long.” Barclay murmurs down at the table.

“See, that’s what I thought too. But then it got me thinkin', why did it possess Stern? If he’s a target-”

“It would have wanted him to hear what it said.” Ned finishes, nodding. 

“It’s your connection to Mama that it’s after.” Aubrey looks at Barclay with fearful realization.

“And that makes Billy fit into the picture as well. It said it needed symmetry, so it needed to hit a Sylph close to you, Ned.” Dani looks at Duck, and he gives her a thumbs up.

“And” Indrid looks up from where he’d been furiously sketching, “it needed to try to convince you all that you were misguided in thinking Billy could be anything but a minion monster. If you recall, it kept blathering on about our ‘true natures.’ My guess is that it gambled on a spell that would influence our core drives and emotions, hoping that the fear we felt when the spell hit us would remain dominant, making both us and any humans around think we were feral. Billy panicked as predicted, but last night Ned was at least able to soothe him.”

“But the bom-bom didn’t account for how much you make me feel safe” Dani smiles at Aubrey, who continues the thought. 

“Or how totally into you I am. Or how badly Indrid wants to fuck Duck.” 

“Exactly” Indrid beams at her while Duck groans and tugs his hat to hide his face. Then he turns, voice soft, to address Barclay.

“The only reason it got you was because you were afraid before the spell hit you.”

“You can say that again.” His hands ball up where they rest on the table.

“Because of what’s goin' with mister special agent pain-in-the-ass over there?” Mama speaks for the first time, and when Barclay looks at her, the expression on her face morphs from hardened to worn and worried. 

“That’s part of it, yeah. But, well, it’s also…” He trails off, glancing at Stern. Shakes his head. Indrid turns to address the agent.

“The reason I didn’t want you to mention capturing Bigfoot, or anything of the sort, when we found you at the lakeside was because doing so would push that core emotion beyond fear and into self-preservation. And even if he tried, the spell would make it nearly impossible for Barclay not to try and hurt you in order to save himself from the danger you present to him and to those he cares about. He even tried to fight it, you saw as much yourself assuming you were paying proper attention.”

Stern says nothing, toys with the cuffs still around his wrists. To Ducks eyes, he looks ashamed. 

“So it’s makin' us all miserable. Don’t mean it’s an abomination.” Mama leans back against the counter.

“It don’t just want us miserable, it wants the guard in pieces so we won’t be able to stop it when it comes.” Duck replies.

“When it couldn’t convince us that you three had gone feral and could no longer be trusted, it tried to sow discord among us by claiming that our relationships with one another were doomed, or that we couldn’t trust each other. Brilliant, in a way.” Ned simply shrugs when Mama glares at him for that comment. 

“If you figured all this out, I’m hopin' you got a plan.”

“I got half of one. We got about five hours of daylight left; Aubrey, you up for goin' to Sylvain to ask Janelle somethin' while Ned pays a visit to a certain giant cat and I dig through the records down here?” 

“Totally.”

“Of course, friend Duck.”

“Dani, can you step in to help Mama run the lodge like nothin’s happenin'?”

“Yep!”

“I suppose you all will just lock me down here?” Stern receives a dirty look from Barclay which he emphatically returns.

“Nope! I’m lockin' you and him” he points at Barclay, “in the ‘Bago until you fuckin' hash things out. Indrid will stand guard in case anythin’s about to go wrong.”

“What!?” Yell the two men, plus Mama.

“Look, whatever is happenin, we’ll all be a lot safer if Barclay figures out just how to feel about you before nightfall.” 

No one appears convinced.

“To help Ducks case, the futures show this having the best chance of success." Indrid grins reassuringly, "And I have no doubts I can handle whatever happens.”

\-------------------------------

Indrid’s patience is nearly gone.

Three hours. They have been arguing for _three fucking hours._

Goodness, most futures when they started had shown them making up within one. How badly have they managed to botch their apologies and explanations that they’ve made things so much worse? Does he need to go in there and mediate or something? 

No, he needs to stay out here. From the snippets that reach him, his presence wouldn’t help in the slightest anyway.

Wait, it’s gotten quiet. Maybe they’ve finally reached an understanding.

“And another thing!”

Dang it.

“You were the sole person in this town I trusted, do you have any idea what it feels like to know that was misplaced?”

“I imagine it feels something like realizing you’d fucking shoot me without a second thought!”

“How many times do I have to apologize-”

“A lot, a lot more times.”

“What were you even planning on doing. Were you just going to try and hide how many fucking monsters are running around until I left?”

“Yes, exactly that. Except you are the most fucking stubborn-”

“I am doing my job! Why won’t you just answer my questions?”

“Sorry, that information is classified.”

“Oh, very funny.”

They must be moving about the trailer, because their voices get far enough away that Indrid can’t fully make out the words. He’s exhausted from listening to them, and he hasn’t slept well on account of all the sex and also the never-ending crisis plaguing them all. 

He rests his head against his sketchpad, shuts his eyes to try to concentrate.

When he opens them again, he notices two things: it is dark out, and he really, really wants to see Duck.

Oh, Duck is the one shaking him awake, that’s nice. He chirps, kisses his cheek.

“Glad to see you too, sleepyhead, but please tell me you ain’t been out that long.”

“Umm.”

“Shit, okay, well, it only just got dark. Did they seem close to solvin' things when you fell asleep.”

“Not really. But they must have since. Maybe they’re not even in there anymore and oh no, oh no.”

A low, guttural howl, the same one from the night before comes from the darkened trailer.

“That answers that question.” Duck touches his hand to Beacon, not sure if he should draw him. 

Then there’s a terrific crash and, following it, a far worse sound; a yelp of terror that is suddenly, sharply, cut off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Duck thinks fast. Aubrey thinks outside the box.


	10. Unlike Blame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duck intervenes

Duck flings the door open, Indrid tearing his glasses off right behind him. The kitchen table is flipped over and, judging by where the other two figures are in the room, it was Stern who flipped it. He’d been trying to protect himself. 

Some good it did him. 

The agent is pressed against the wall, gasping and sputtering as Barclay looms over him, both hands clamped tight over his throat. He’s still fighting, trying to get Barclay to loosen his grip, but it’s clear he stands no chance. 

“We have two minutes before he passes out, three before he dies.”

“Barclay, c’mon man, let him go.”

“Not. A. Chance.” Comes the growled reply. 

“Stern, please, stop tryin' to hit him, I think it’s only makin' it worse.”

Stern halts his movements, drops his hands limply down to his sides. 

“This ain’t you, Barclay, you ain’t the type to hurt people.”

“I hurt Indrid last night, seems I’m exactly that type.”

“You left a superficial scratch, and stopped fighting the instant after you hurt me. You don’t want to hurt me, or Stern, or anyone.”

Barclay looks at them, furious expression wavering for a moment.

“Please..I’m..sorry...so….sorry.” Stern chokes out the words and Barclays head snaps back to regard him. 

The agent collapses onto the ground, gasping for air in huge gulps as Barclay releases him and skulks into a corner, where he promptly hunches down on the floor. 

Duck helps Stern up, guides him over the couch, trying to check his health while keeping an eye on Barclay.

“Did you two seriously not get anywhere?”

“No, we, we didn’t. We just went around in circles, I, I can’t, and he couldn’t-”

“This is all your fault.” Barclay glares at Duck, earning him a warning growl from Indrid. And then there’s silence, no one sure what steps will lead to landmines and which will lead to safety.

“You’re not the only one who’s frightened, Barclay.” Sterns voice comes out odd, raspy, and he rubs his throat, “I am as well. And not because of what just happened. I've been here for months, chasing a lead that I knew was true but that I knew could get me killed, and to add to my odd mix of luck there you were, one of the only people who showed some kind of friendliness towards me. And I, I fell for you, which is terrifying on it’s own, and then in the last twenty-four hours I’ve discovered that not only are you what I’ve been chasing, but that my dedication to finding the truth has a weak spot and that weak spot is you and it could cost me everything, and now I may lose you and that’s the worst thought of all. I’m not just scared, I’m terrified. I need your help.”

Duck holds his breath.

“You...need my help?” Rumbles softly from the corner. 

“I’m tired of blindly fighting against whatever’s happening in this town, whatever’s happening in me. I want to understand what’s going on. You’re the only person I trust to help me do that.”

The worn floor creaks in protest as Barclay makes his way to the couch and sits, springs snapping as he does. 

“I don’t want you to be afraid.” He whispers, and when he looks at Stern Duck is relieved to see the anger is gone from his eyes. In it’s place is an expression that’s unmistakably Barclay, caring and cautious. 

“Are you willing to leave us alone so we can talk?” Stern looks at him, and he turns to Indrid. The Sylph stands still, gaze distant, then nods.

“Well, uh, guess we’ll leave you to, uh, sort things out. Meet us at the lodge in the morning?”

“Will do.” Barclay says, only half paying attention as he scoots closer to the man on the couch.

Duck and Indrid step outside, shutting the door.

“Think you may need a new couch.”

“At this rate, I’ll need a new trailer.” He looks up at the stars, sighs, “the futures have settled into safety, at least for the night.”

“Think I see what’s comin'.” Duck smiles at him as he loops an arm around his waist. 

“Oh good, then let’s not waste time.” 

\---------------

“Mine” Indrid grabs his suspenders as soon as they step into the apartment and drags him into the bedroom. He falls on his back onto the bed, pulling Duck on top of him, purring and chirping as he roves his hands across his body.

“Yep, all yours darlin', just gotta tell me what you want.”

“Just touch me, I love it when you do.”

“That I can do, but I got an idea. Wait here.” He hops off the bed, Indrid whining and making grabby hands in his direction. He blows him a kiss, steps into the hall and swings open the closet door. Pulls out a rope that he bought a long time ago, for a previous partner, and then heads back into the bedroom. 

“Hands above your head.” He grins when Indrid complies before he’s even finished the sentence, climbs onto the bed and skillfully twists and ties the rope around his wrists before anchoring it to the bed frame. 

“Now you, said you wanted me to touch you?” He pushes Indrid's legs open so he can sit between them.

“Yes, please.” 

Duck reaches for Indrids ankle, draws his thumb slowly from there to his hip, then across to the other hip-bone. He moves his hand back and forth across his hips and lower stomach, savoring the down under his fingers. He gets close to his cock but never touches it, even though the Sylph is starting to thrust into the air.

“More, please sweetheart I need more.”

“More touchin'? You got it.” His left hands starts stroking the other leg and Indrid lets out a frustrated chirr. 

“If there’s a particular place you want me to touch, you gotta say so. Otherwise I’m gonna spend all night wrist deep in this gorgeous fluff.” Duck says, innocent as can be.

“My cock, I haven’t had a chance for release all day and you know that.” Indrid mock-pouts, gives an exaggerated thrust. 

Duck crawls up him until he’s straddling his chest, draws circles against the exposed parts of his wings. 

“Let’s get one thing straight, darlin': I’m in charge right now. Which means you get to come when I say you can.” He drops his head down, sinks his teeth into the feathers until he finds skin and Indrid moans.

“And don’t even think about snappin' that rope. I know you can when you’re like this, but if you do you won’t get to touch me at all tonight. Understand?”

“Yes, my love.” Indrid purrs, smiling up at him. 

“Good.” Duck stretches forward so he can kiss his forehead, and then begins kissing and biting, stroking and scratching, until the only noises in the room are his panting and Indrids purring and whimpering. It’s a heady feeling, being so needed and having his boyfriend go to pieces under him from such simple touches, and his cock is straining at his jeans.

He sits up, still straddling the pink of Indrids chest and unzipps them, tugging his cock out of his boxers with a sigh. Indrids eyes widen with lust as he begins stroking himself. He lifts his head, but Duck’s too far for him to make any contact. When he realizes Duck isn’t planning on coming closer, his tongue snakes out of his mouth to it’s full length. It’s long, but not long enough. He makes a valiant effort all the same and Duck barks out a laugh out how simultaneously cute and ridiculous he looks. 

“Wanna taste me somethin' bad huh?”

“Yesth, obviousthly.” Indrid says, tongue still licking the air. 

“Give you plenty to taste in, oh fuck, in a minute.”

The tongue retracts and Indrid chirp-moans.

“Yeah, gonna make a mess of you again darlin'. You like that?”

“Yes Duck, oh yes, please, I, I want you to come on me, mark me, pleaseplease.”

“Jesus _fuck_ that’s hot.” He groans, works his hand hard and fast, occasionally grinding down onto Indrids chest.

“You’re close.” Purrs the voice under him.

“No shiOH, shit, Indrid, yes.” He cums, drops spattering across Indrids feathers. He braces his hands on his bulk for a moment to catch his breath, then shifts back down until he’s once again between his legs. 

“That was, whew, that was somethin' else. You’re somethin' else, darlin'.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“The best” Duck kisses his left hip, then runs his tongue up his dripping cock, earning him a delighted trill. He keeps kissing and licking along the shaft as he murmurs, “you can break the ropes if you want.”

A snap from above him and then huge, clawed hands tangle in his hair, tugging and shoving until his mouth is around Indrids cock. 

“So, my sweet human likes to play games.” He growls.

Duck lifts his head to give him a shit-eating grin.

“You know it, and I know you like ‘em too.”

“Oh, yes, very much, and I love that you indulge me with them. But you are talking too much. Suck.” He pushes his head back down and Duck moans around his cock. He loves the strange, soft texture of it, the weight of it against his tongue, and most of all he loves it because it’s part of Indrid. 

“Thaaaat’s it, oh that feels so _good_.” Indrid’s slowly thrusting as far in as he can go, Ducks head cradled in his hands.

“You want a game, my little mate, I have, oh goodness, one for you. How many times can I fuck this lovely mouth of yours tonight before I get tired of it? Would you like to play?” 

Duck growls, nods.

“WonderfulOH, Duck, yes, do that again, that’s itohhhhh.” He cums with a purr, continues thrusting until Duck’s swallowed the last of it down. 

He rests his head on his stomach, claws lovingly carding his hair as he sighs happily

“Would you, um, actually like to do that? What I suggested, It's, it's alright if you don't.” Indrid is up on his elbows, gazing at him shyly. Duck takes one of the hands from his hair and brings it to his lips to kiss it.

“Long as I get at least a little sleep tonight, I’m all yours darlin'. All yours.”

\----------------------------------

It’s the next afternoon, and the team is assembled in the safe-room, Aubrey having just cast a particular spell with help from Indrid and Dani. Stern is by Barclays side, and while Mama continues to shoot daggers his way, from the arm Barclay has draped over his shoulder it’s clear he’s staying right where he is.

“Everyone know the plan?” Duck looks around the room, collecting nods from each of them.

“Alright then, it’s time: let’s beat this fucker at its own game.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Harsh words.


	11. The Rose with the Thorn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fighting. In more ways than one.

The shouting from the lodge kitchen can be heard from the springs. 

“For the last time, I am leaving with him and you cannot stop me!”

“Goddamnit, Barclay, we need you here , not runnin' off to who knows where with some fuckin' FBI goon.”

“I’ve given decades of my life to the lodge, to the guard-”

“You ain’t the only one!”

“Forgive me for wanting to not hang around until I die or worse, end up like Thacker!”

“Barclay, I swear to god if you walk out that door and leave with him, you better never show your face here again.”

There’s a pause, and then the only sound is a slamming door.

\-----------------------------------------  
Down the hall, there’s a softer, but no less painful conversation. 

“I’m sorry, Dani, but I can’t stay in Kepler anymore.”

“You’re leaving me?”

“I’m, I’m so sorry. But this was never what I wanted. I’m not a hero, Dani, I’m a magician. It’s time I went back to that.”

“I can’t leave the lodge, firebug, I can’t come with you-”

“I know, but you’ll be better of without me. You deserve who doesn't accidentally hurt people, someone who understands what you’ve been through.”

“But you do, you know what it’s like to lose your home, the people who matter, and more than that I love you, please, please don’t leave like this.”

“Kiss for the road?”

A beat of silence.

“Goodbye, Dani.”

\----------------------------

Duck presses his palms onto the counter, head bowed.

“There ain’t any easy way to say this.”

Indrid, standing across from him, sees what’s coming, and tears prick his eyes.

“Don’t matter how much I love you, my days are numbered. No amount of magic helmets or future-seein' or anythin' else can make up for the fact that I’m just a normal guy who can die pretty fuckin' easily.”

“Please don’t make me leave.” Indrid’s voice is small, frightened.

“It’s for the best.”

“You can’t know that.”

“You can. You gonna look me in the eye and tell me I’m wrong? That all our futures only show us livin' happily ever after?”

Indrid drops his gaze, shoulders shaking.

“No.” He chokes out.

“I’ll send Ned by with the stuff you been keepin' here, maybe tomorrow.” Duck keeps his eyes down. He doesn’t look up until well after the apartment door shuts.

\-----------------------------------

Duck stands in the woods, under the light of the almost full moon. 

He’s alone, save for Beacon.

But he won’t be for long.

“Well, well, well,” a low voice whispers from all sides, “Duck Newton, last man standing.”

“Yeah, thanks for that. Now lemme see you so Beacon can have a word with you.”

A laugh, menacing and garbled, from the trees and then the abomination steps into view; it’s tall and thin, teeth impossibly sharp and filling it’s mouth row after row. 

“You all had me worried there, so loving and willing to assume the best of one another. Good thing I hit upon the judge idea; make you feel unworthy of each other. And this was the best outcome of all. After all you’re merely a human, no powers, no skills. You pose no threat to me.”

Duck grips tight to Beacon, takes his battle stance.

“You’re right, maybe I don’t.”

Sharp teeth glint in the moonlight.

“But she sure as hell does.”

A bolt of fire ignites in the night air, barely missing the abomination.

“Aw man, woulda been a way cooler entrance if I hit you.” Aubrey readies another fireball. Ned pats her sympathetically.

“Next time, my friend.”

“This is impossible! You left!”

“Yeah, and then I turned around. Just like he did.” A fiery hand indicates Barclay as he steps into the moonlight, axe slung over his shoulders. Mama is beside him, shotgun ready. 

“Duck figured out you’d been spying on us, and that you had some way of discerning our inner emotions. So I whipped up a little spell to hide us for a bit, then another to make us believe the shitty things we said to each other were true so that we could trick you into thinking your plan had worked. Pretty neat huh?” Aubrey grins, then ducks as the abomination hurls itself at her. Mama fires, misses, fires again and this time catches the creature on the shoulder. It tumbles to ground. Then it rises, larger than before.

“You’re not the only one with tricks up your sleeves.”

It picks up a boulder as if it weighs nothing, launches it a Duck and Ned, who dive out of the way and hide behind a fallen tree. 

“Don’t worry compatriot, we have air support.” They look up in unison to see….

An empty sky.

“Oh, fuck.” Duck whispers. 

\-------------------------------------

Dani paces back and forth at the front desk of the lodge. She’d agreed to stay behind, in case things went to wrong, or if the creature tried to possess the residents. Her back-up isn’t pacing, but his leg has been bouncing enough that she’s amazed he hasn’t shattered his coffee mug with the vibrations. 

“Don’t worry, Agent Stern, they’ve dealt with worse stuff than this. They’ll be fine.”

“Are you saying that to reassure me or to reassure you?”

“Both.” Dani sighs, takes a deep breath in, counts to five, lets it out. 

“Uh, forgive me if I’m missing something, but Mr. Cold was supposed to help them, right?”

“Yeah.” Dani’s stomach begins to knot.

“Isn’t that his trailer driving the opposite direction of the fight?”

She joins Stern at the window, and sees a familiar Winnebago trundling, with some effort, through the woods towards the main road. And it is definitely going the wrong way. She bolts back to the desk and grabs her walky-talky.

\-------------------------------------

Duck’s walky-talky crackles just as Barclay pulls him out of the way on their oncoming foe.

“Go for Duck.”

“Duck,Dani, it’s Indrid, the trailer, it’s, it’s leaving, it looks like he’s trying to leave town.”

“Hold on-Aubrey! That spell shoulda worn off by now right?”

“Uh, yeah?” She yells back, trying to knock the abomination down with a gust of wind.

“Cause I think Indrid’s still under it.”

“Fuck! It must have worked imperfectly.”

“You better go get him, we’re gonna need all the help we can get. Just be quick.” Mama fires, curses when the creature simply laughs.

Duck runs, using his knowledge of the forest layout and what Dani told him to weave through the trees towards the wayward ‘Bago. He’s got the worst stitch of his life by the time he makes it there, and he cannot for the life of him figure out why Indrid isn’t on the main road, but instead breaking multiple off-roading regulations as the trailer slowly picks it’s way through the trees. It's actually moving back towards the fight, but not with any sense of purpose or urgency. 

“Indrid!” The vehicle doesn’t stop, but its progress is slow enough that he can yank the front door open as it backs up from a stand of trees. When he spies Indrid up front, it all makes sense; he’s sobbing so badly it’s a miracle he can even see where he’s going (then again, maybe he can’t).

“Darlin', darlin' hey, it’s me, it’s okay. I didn’t mean none of what I said, it was all part of the plan.” He scrambles next to the passenger seat, rubbing at Indrids shoulder to try and shake him out of it.

The trailer stops as he kills the ignition and promptly gives him the angriest look he’s ever seen in his life.

“Plan! What plan? The plan where you break my heart, the plan where you remind me that I can’t protect you, where you make it clear that being with me isn’t worth the risk?” He’s wiping furiously under his eyes to stop the tears. 

“No, the plan with the bom-bom, to trick it into thinkin' we’d all split up.C’mon darlin', you know I’d never throw you outta my life.”

“I, I don’t believe you. This is just regret, you’ve realized you messed up, but unfortunately, Duck Newton, there are words you cannot take back.”

Duck carefully takes Indrids head in his hands, brushes his cheeks gently with his thumbs until he looks at him.

“Indrid Cold, I done a lot of foolhardy things and made a lot of mistakes in my life, but there’s nothin' in this world that could convince me we didn’t belong together. I love you more than the forest, more than french onion soup,” Indrid hiccups a small laugh at that, “and I don’t wanna lose you. You ain’t gotta be perfect, you ain’t gotta be some magic, no-fail protector. You just gotta be Indrid, and that’ll be all I could ever want.”

Indrid surges forward and kisses him, and when they break apart he blinks, shakes his head. 

“Oh dear, I think Aubrey’s spell had a small flaw. She’ll have to tell Janelle about it so they can rework it.”

“That’s assumin' we all make it outta tonight in one piece. C’mon, we gotta go help them.”

Indrid nods, then freezes, and Duck hears the panicked shouting a moment too late. Indrid opens his mouth to say something, lunges to grab Ducks arm. 

The windshield shatters and he’s pulled from the car and thrown, colliding with a tree-trunk and falling rag-doll on the ground. He screams, the unmistakable pain of broken bones flooding his system. 

Something is coming towards him, laughing, and he knows it’s the bom-bom. He tries to draw Beacon, tries to stand, tries to do anything but his body rebels, keeps him on the ground. It’s harder to see, getting harder to breathe by the moment. 

There’s a rumble and then an utter cacophony of screeching and screaming, a fading crunch as he slips from consciousness. 

And then there’s only silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: An offer.


	12. A Path Worth Taking Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duck asks a question.

Everything hurts. 

There’s a dull, constant stream of noise from around him, humming and beeping and murmuring. 

Duck opens his eyes, squints under the bright fluorescents of St Francis Hospital. 

The first thing he sees is sheriff Owens, talking with what he assumes is a doctor. 

The second thing he sees is that right beside his bed, curled up in a chair, is Indrid.

“You have some luck, Duck.” Owens says soft and matter-of-factly.

“Can say that again.”

“Ain’t everyday a fella’s in a wreck that bad and only comes away with a cracked rib and a broken arm and nothin worse.”

“Wreck?” Last Duck recalls, he was up against a tree with a creature not of this earth about to tear him apart.

“Your boyfriend here says he swerved to avoid an animal and hit a tree at top speed with you two in the trailer. Damn thing is totaled.”

“Jesus.” Duck whispers.

“Like I said, lucky. I gotta head out, stayed here because the only way I could get your friends to leave once visitin' hours ended was by promisin' them I’d wait to hear from the doctor about how you were doin.” He looks at Indrid, “this one wouldn’t budge even with that, said he wasn’t leavin' your side until there was a 100% chance you’d live. Hissed at the nurse who tried to get him to leave. Anyway, best be gettin' gone. Glad you’re in one piece, Duck. Evenin’.”

He disappears, shuts the door behind him

“Darlin?”

“No touch him….crawfish…bananas.” Indrid mutters between snores and Duck smiles, leans as best he can to kiss his forehead. Spots the bruise, mottled purple and covering most of the right side of Indrids face, when he pulls away. Pieces together what happened.

“You hit the bom-bom with the fuckin ‘Bago, you son of a gun, goddamn, that coulda killed you.” He’s half flattered and half exasperated at the lengths people keep going to in order to save his sorry ass. He reaches out a hand to draw the blanket Indrid is wrapped in back up his body.

A cold hand closes around it.

“I am much tougher than I look, Duck Newton. And I would crash my car into a tree in a thousand timelines if it meant saving you.” Eyes flutter open behind red glasses. 

“I was so scared” He brushes Ducks cheek with his finger, “when it grabbed you almost all the futures morphed and you kept dying and I just, I just couldn’t lose you. It was only once I hit the accelerator that I bothered to even look at the possible outcomes. They were not ideal. All told, not one of my better plans”

Duck squeezes his fingers.

“We’re both still here. Call that a win.”

“Indeed. The sheriff needn’t know that the scorch marks on the vehicle aren’t from the collision but from Aubrey exploding the abomination once it was wounded by the car. They’re all alright, since you’re about to ask that. Barclay has a bad cut on his arm and Ned’s missing an eyebrow from the fireball. But we are all in one piece.”

Duck lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Every time this happens, every time he misses a piece of the battle, he worries he’ll come back to an empty seat in the safe-house and heart full of grief.

He winces, ribs twinging, and lays down. Indrid keeps hold of his free hand and for a moment they simply sit in silence, lost in a mixture of exhaustion and relief. 

And then Duck recalls something.

“Oh shit! Indrid, that was your _house_.”

“Yes, and while Ned is a decent mechanic, there’s no way he or anyone else can repair it. I’m afraid the trailer is gone for good.”

“Fuck, darlin' I’m so sorry, this is my doin-”

“None of that. This is far from the first home I’ve lost. Or totaled. I’ll find a new place, although I may throw myself on your kindness for a few weeks while I do.” He flashes Duck a grin.

“Of course, buncha your stuff’s there anyway and…” A solution occurs to him and, from the way Indrid’s eyes widen, in at least some futures he says it aloud.

“My love, you don’t need to make that offer just for my sake, as I said I can find a place of my own.”

“You sayin' that because you ain’t interested, or because you think I don’t really want to?”

“The second one.” Indrid bites his lip, but Duck sees the hope hiding just behind the nervous gesture. He sits up again (carefully) and brings their joined hands to his chest. 

“Indrid Cold, would you do me the honor of movin' in with me?”

\--------------------------------------------------

 

“Duck, where do you want these?”

“Kitchen for now Aubrey, thanks!” Duck turns back to the pile of things on his living room floor, a mixture of his own belongings, being purged to make space, and the objects Ned and Barclay managed to salvage from the wreckage of the Winnebago. 

He’d been able to leave the hospital after a day, but it’d taken three days of recuperation before Aubrey was willing to try a healing spell on his arm. Had he been a different man, he would have waited until there were no more boxes to be moved before asking her to heal him. But he wanted to help Indrid move in.

(And, more importantly, wanted to be healed enough that they could make the most of Indrids remaining extra-horny period).

“Er, Mr.Cold-”

“Indrid, please,”

“Right, Indrid, do you want these boxes of old drawings?”

“Hmm, let me see” Indrid flips through the papers in the box Stern is holding, “no, these can be tossed, thank you.”

Stern heads out to the recycling bin, getting playfully hip-checked by Barclay on his way out the door. 

“Y’know, y’all didn’t have to do this, we coulda handled it on our own.”

“But then we wouldn't have an excuse for pizza night!” Aubrey raises her hands excitedly in the air, Dani ducking out of the way and then under her arms so that when she lowers them they’re in an embrace. 

“Or to interrogate Barclays new boooooyfriend.” Dani teases, laughs harder when the large man sticks his tongue out at her. 

“It’s fortuitous that Mama stayed at the lodge to work, or that interrogation might have become very literal indeed.” Ned adds, sorting through Ducks clothes. He pulls out a khaki and coral striped shirt that fit Duck maybe five years ago, wrinkles his nose and tosses it into the “donate” bag. 

Duck finishes moving the furniture about making space, below the corkboard he hung up months ago that are covered in sketches, for Indrid to have a real desk to draw at (he knows he’ll only use it half the time, Duck will come home to find him hunched on the couch or sprawled on the floor, but he wants Indrid to have places in the house that are _his_ ). He heads into the bedroom, grabs a box full of drawing supplies and pauses when a spindly arms wrap around him.

“Somethin' you need darlin'?” He rests his head against back against the tank-top clad frame. 

“Merely a moment to hold you, my love.” Indrid leans in, kisses his cheek, and then lets him go. He’s blushing when he gets to the living room, shaking his head at the fact that Indrid can still make him turn pink with just a few words. But at this point he doesn’t give a shit. Because his friends, this strange band of people who he calls his own, are shouting and sorting and teasing each other in the cozy, safe walls of his home.

_Our_ home he thinks, as Indrid steps beside him, squeezing his hand before heading into the kitchen to help Aubrey and Dani.

The afternoon winds into the evening, a blur of happy moments, the moments Duck always fears they’ll lose to the abominations at their doorstep. Dani draws Stern into an animated conversation about _Buffy_ , Aubrey and Indrid race to see who can chug soda the fastest (Indrid, though Aubrey makes a valiant effort), and Ned continues lovingly tormenting Duck for his choice in clothes. 

They leave a little after ten, departing in a cluster of laughter and goodbyes. Duck and Indrid wave goodbye. Duck shuts the door and turns out the porch light, smiles when he notices the light from the living room is suddenly blocked. 

“Now that we’re alone..” Indrids voice morphs from his usual lilt to a growl as he pins Duck against the door, “you’re mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: I think you can guess.


	13. How I Made Those Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Indrid and Duck finally get some alone time.

“Not wastin' any time are we?” Duck grins against the grain of the door as Indrid, glasses off, frantically grinds against him, one arm around his chest and the other around his stomach.

“I have, goodness, been very patient all day, and have to make up lost time from our convalescence. And before you say it, the blow-jobs you gave over the last few days were amazing, but in my current state my brains true desire is to be inside you around the clock ohhh.” He rests his forehead on the door, a little above Ducks, and the ranger feels damp spread on his lower back. Duck cranes his neck, manages to peck Indrid on his chin.

“Come along, my sweet.” Indrid scoops him up, and Duck yelps with delight, making Indrid chirp happily, bumping and nuzzling their heads together as he carries him to the bedroom. He carefully deposits Duck on the bed before ducking under it to look for something.

“How d’you want me?”

“Take everything off and wait for me on your hands and knees.”

Duck shimmies out of his pants, tugs his shirt off and tosses it in the direction of the laundry bag. By the time he’s in position, Indrid has emerged holding the large, neon cock and a bottle of lube. He sets them on the bed beside Duck and stands behind him, hands and claws gently kneading his ass and thighs. 

“So lovely.” He purrs, bending forward to plant small licks (what the closest he can get to kisses in this form) down his back. Duck gasps, pushes his hips backward.

“Eager.” A pink and yellow hand lifts the items from beside him and after a moment the head of the toy nudges at his entrance. 

“Awful rich comin' from the guy who just humped me against a dooOooooh, damn.” Indrid works the toy in carefully, but even then the stretch is overwhelming, the ridges and bumps making him twist his fingers into the blankets. 

“Goodness me that’s a sight, watching this perfect ass getting all open and ready for me. Now, let me see,” he glances at the clock, “we have about four hours before you need to sleep so that you can go to work. I’d say I can have my way with you about twenty times in that interim given my current state. How does that sound?”

“Good oh FUCK, good, just don’t get, get too comfy.”

“Oh?”

“Got some plans for you too, darlin'.”

“Do you now?” Indrid pulls the toy all the way out and Duck hears it hit the ground right before claws dig into his hips and Indrid thrusts in halfway.

“Shitshit, ohgod, Indrid, yes.” He moans as Indrid pauses, gives him time to adjust, purring all the while. 

“There we go my sweet, relax, let me in, let me show you just how much I want you.” He thrusts the rest of the way in and Duck whimpers as he moves shallowly back and forth. 

“Mmmm, I could just stay inside you for hours. Maybe I will, keep fucking you until all you can do is lay there and moan and take it.” 

“You gonna keep talkin about it or are you-AHhhhh, fuck, that’s it darlin', oh, oh fuck.” He drops forward onto his elbows as Indrid rams into him. Duck shuts his eyes, lets himself be carried away by the sensation of being so wanted, by the stretch and ache and pleasure of Indrid inside him. When a finger brushes over the head of his cock he cries out and then laughs and moans all at once when a fist closes around it. The force of Indrids thrusts push his cock into the soft, strong fist and soon he feels his orgasm circling.

“Like that, oh gracious, yes, sweetheart, come on, come for me.” The plea cuts off into a broken moan as Indrid comes, and Duck follows fast behind and spills into his hand. His body relaxes, contentment flooding his system.

And then he falls flat on his face on the bed as his limbs give out, Indrid withdrawing as he does so. 

“You okay?” The sylph giggles, curling up beside him.

“Brain not workin', ask again later.”

Indrid nuzzles close, one arm draped across him. His breathing evens out and his heart stops pounding and it’s only then he realizes how thirsty he is. 

“Be right back, want anythin' from the kitchen?”

“Juice?”

“You got it, handsome.” He pads down the hall, stretching his arms and back as he does. Grabs a glass of water for himself, pours juice for Indrid. 

When he gets back to the bedroom, he knows he’s not going to get to drink it anytime soon.

“Can I at least put the glasses down before you jump me?”

“You have five seconds.” 

Duck sets them on the dresser and Indrid immediately pounces on him, bringing them both onto the floor. He shifts so that he lands first and Duck is cushioned by his bulk. Then he rolls them over, looming over his boyfriend with a wide grin. He shoves his legs apart and thrusts in with no preamble and Duck moans loud, wraps his arms tight around him. Indrid trills at the sound and Duck remembers something the sylph said earlier in the week.

He draws one hand across Indrids chest, digging his nails down as hard as he can and Indrid trills again, dips down to lick at his neck.

“That how you do it back home, lots of clawin' and biti'n and shit?” He drags his nails again, this time towards Indrids stomach.

“AH! Yes! I mean, only during mating seasonOHohh, Duck, yes.” He moans, claws scratching at the carpet.

Duck growls, sits up as best he can under Indrids frame and sinks his teeth into his shoulder, biting and sucking. He moves his hands in zig-zag patterns across his chest as he continues to bite at his shoulder and arm and Indrid bucks, angle just right to hit his prostate.

“Jesus, fuck!” He buries his face against Indrids chest, bites down when Indrid continues thrusting at the same spot. He moans out a garbled thank you, his nerves pinging with over-stimulation, Indrid keeping him just on the edge of what would be too sensitive. 

Indrid chuckles, sits up, grabs Ducks knees and pushes them as wide as they can go.

“As much as I, oh yes, am enjoying that, right now I want to concentrate on reminding you that you are mine, my sweet little mate, my perfect human.” His breathing is ragged, and he’s clearly reached that point where his mind is focused solely on coming. Duck is moaning, maybe making words and maybe not, he can’t really tell at this point.

“I asked you a question, my love.” Indrid leans forward, one hand leaving Ducks leg to grip his chin and force their gazes to meet, “who do you belong to?” 

“You, Indrid, fuckOHfuckfuck, darlin' yes.” He feels him come, and when he pulls out this time it drips down his thigh. Indrid is purring, taking care to not crush Duck with his weight even as licks and nuzzles his face and neck. 

“I think I got rugburn on my back.”

“Oh dear, I’m sorry.” Indrid sits up, pulling Duck with him. The ranger grins. 

“Worth it

\-------------------

Several hours later, Indrid is flat on his back on the bed, fighting to keep his hands pinned by his head. The string of whimpers, moans, and chirps escaping is highly gratifying to Duck as he sits between his legs. 

They’re both in need of a shower soon, Indrid having come in or on Duck an impressive number of times. Duck’s payback can be found in the matted, sticky feathers on Indrids chin and neck. Ducks body is bordering on exhausted, but his mind is still raring to go. 

Duck lazily runs his tongue up Indrids cock, and his hips buck with a chirp.

“Ah ah, I said keep still.”

“Duck please, it’s been half an hour sweetheart, please I need to come so badly.”

“You’ve come” Duck counts on his fingers, “ten times already. Waitin' a little longer for number eleven won’t kill you.”

“Maybe it will, you don’t know everything about Sylph biology.” Indrid pouts.

Duck crawls up his chest, kisses his cheek and (carefully) one palp. 

“Don’t look so sad, darlin', got somethin' I know you’ll like planned.” He shifts until he’s seated just above Indrids cock, making the Sylph perk up.

“Put your hands on my hips.”

Indrid does so in a heartbeat.

“Now, I can’t feel my fuckin legs at this point thanks to you, so we’re gonna make use of how big and strong you are right now.” He sinks down a little ways onto his cock, Indrid transfixed by the sight. 

“Oh yes” He breathes out, before lifting Ducks hips, “yes, yes, yes.” With each “yes” he shifts him up and down, thrusting deeper each time, settles into fucking Duck on himself hard and slow.

“C'mon darlin', fuck me like you mean it” He teases, then lets out a moan that can he heard halfway across town as Indrid pistons him up and down rapidly, growling.

“My sweet one thinks he can tease me for an eternity and then make demands? Not a chance.” He thrusts all the way in, pulling Duck down against his body. Duck grinds down against him, obscene sounds spilling from his as he fills the cock inside him responding, rippling in some alien way that he adores. 

“That’s it, fill me up handsome, I know you want to, oh fuck FUCK.” Claws catch at his thighs as Indrid lets out a broken trill that dies down into a familiar hum as Duck feels his cock pulse inside him. 

He shifts up and off, then flops down beside his boyfriend. 

“You are magnificent.” Indrid strokes his cheek. Duck takes the hand with his own, kisses it.

“So are you.”

It only takes a few minutes for them to tidy themselves and the room, and then they collapse into bed, Indrid in his human form out of a desire to more easily fit into Ducks arms. They kiss softly, slowly, in the way that people who know they will wake up beside one another often do.

“I love you, Duck.”

“I love you too, Indrid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end!
> 
> I have one other fic planned one right now, of the two dudes and their cryptid boyfriends variety. So, I'm opening requests for a little while. Got an Indruck fic you'd like to see? Come find me at ThisWasInevitable on Tumblr


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